


The New Fox And The Good Girl

by Gameguy1992, Memoryweaver1



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Foster Care, Im not a doctor, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jealousy, Lemon, Major Character Injury, Medical marijuana, NICK DOES NOT DIE, Near Death Experience, Near Death Experiences, Nick is the victim, Nick will be hurt, OOC characters, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Teenager Romance, There I fixed the tag but in doing so have spoiled the story., Unrequited Love, character death tag not needed, coming to terms, just because someone dies doesnt mean they stay dead, momentary death, non-permanant death, smut and plot, some smut with your plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-11-08 17:33:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 105,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17985608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gameguy1992/pseuds/Gameguy1992, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memoryweaver1/pseuds/Memoryweaver1
Summary: Judy Hopps has the reputation of being the good girl at Zootopia High. Always on time, always polite, always helping others. Until one day when Nick Wilde transfers to the school. He's abrupt, a smart ass and not like any boy Judy has ever met before. But something happens in his first week that lets Judy catch a glimpse of another side of the fox. And now she begins to wonder is Nick just naturally abrasive and tough to be around? Or is there a reason for his rough exterior? What might the new fox be hiding? And how could it affect goody-goody Judy and those around her? Can she help Nick recover from what has been done to him? Or is it all to much for them both to handle?





	1. The New fox

**Author's Note:**

> hello folks.  
> Im sure some of you are wondering whats going on.  
> and why you have t resubscribe/follow me or this story.
> 
> Long story short, someone broke into my old AO3 account and deleted it.  
> So I have to start over and repost these stories.. luckily i had these chapters saved and backed up.

Bellwether’s class was always boring. Sighing softly Judy shifted, looking away from the outline of today's lesson scrawled along the bored and instead out the window to her left. Outside blue skies with the occasional spot of white fluffy clouds greeted her gaze. Mentally she sighed. It wasn't that she didn't like the nice weather. But it meant that the moment she was done with her homework, she'd be expected to help outside with the crops her family grew for their living. Normally she wouldn't mind, she actually sometimes enjoyed it. But recently something had changed. Now it was just something that she had to do.

“Alright class,” she turned, her attention going to Mrs. Bellwether their sheep teacher. “we have a new student today.”

At this Judy blinked. A new student? This late into the school year? That was odd. Usually the school board wouldn't accept new students or transfers after october. Yet now, in march a new student was joining them? The other students around her were muttering to, clearly away of how odd this was. At the front of the class Bellwether cleared her throat making everyone fall silent. “Please welcome Nick Wilde to Zootopia high.”

As she spoke Bellwether gestured to the door of the classroom, which opened as if on cue. A second later Judy’s eyes widened as a red fox clad in the zootopia high uniform of black pants and a white polo shirt; slowly sauntered into the room. His walk was slow, his hands in his pockets. The entire class was silent as he walked to stand next to Bellwether, easily towering over her. After a few moments of silence he spoke, nodding his head to the class. “Sup?”

A small murmur of chuckles rippled through the classroom at this. Next to him Mrs Bellwether gave the new fox a slight glare before clearing her throat again. “Mr Wilde-”

“Nick.”

At the interruption Bellwether blinked. Looking to Nick who was still standing casually next to her. “What?” her tone was a bit sharper than usual, clearly annoyed that she'd been interrupted. 

Next to her Nick shrugged. “Just call me Nick. Mr Wilde makes me sound like some uptight businessman. Nick is fine.”

There was no missing the slight narrowing in Bellwether’s eyes. It was well known that she hated to be corrected. After a few seconds she spoke. Her voice notably colder than it had been a moment again. “Will anyone volunteer to show  _ Nick,”  _ she said his name with an audible tone of annoyance. “Around the school?”

No one moved. Not exactly surprising since it was a mostly prey attended class. Next to Bellwether Nick shifted a little, his shoulders slumping just a tiny bit. Was he sad no one had volunteered? “Its fine. I don't need a guide. I can fig-”

But Bellwether cut him off, a clear tone of annoyance creeping into her voice. “Mr. Wilde, here at Zootopia high we have standards. Every new student will have a guide to show them around for their first week. Ms. Hopps,” The sound of her name made Judy blink slightly, and sit a little straighter.”

“Y-yes ma'am?”

Bellwether looked at her. “You will be Mr. Wilde's guide for the week.” Bellwether’s expression dared her to object. 

Slowly she nodded. “O-ok.”

At this Bellwether turned to Nick who had let out a small sigh. “Take your seat now Mr. Wilde. We have a lot to cover today. I hope you have read the material.”

Nick shrugged. “Suppose we'll find out, won't we?”

Without waiting for Bellwether to respond Nick moved, slowly making his way into the sea of desks before finding an empty one next to the bunny who'd been assigned to help him and dropping down into it. Biting her lip Judy glanced sideways at the fox, not wishing to be as obvious as some, of the other students with her gaze. 

 

\-------

 

Slowly he looked around the room. Most students were looking at him with curiosity. Not unheard of since he was the new kid. Most of them seemed to be preys, with a few omnivores mixed into the group. A row away the bunny who had been assigned to him was also looking at him. He ignored them all. New school, new students, but nothing had really changed. Soon interest in him would fade, and just like had happened at every other school; He'd fade in the background. Only ever noticed when something went wrong or when someone needed to blame something on him. He stared up at the front of the class. Watching as the teacher moved about, passing back the homework from a few days ago. He leaned back a little in his chair, waiting for the class to begin. As he waited he glanced sideways at the bunny who'd been assigned to him. She had grey fur with a little bit of black flecked in along her head and neck; probably the rest of her too. She was tall, probably came up to his shoulders if they stood side by side. Unlike most of the other students she was busy looking over her homework, while others just crammed it into their bags. And… she was trying to be subtle about looking at him. Every so often he'd see her brow shift in his direction, a sign that she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye. 

The class itself was almost painfully boring. The lamb teacher who'd introduced him seemed bent on getting back at him for interrupting and being cheeky with her. Several times he was called on to read aloud and then explain the passage he'd just read. Not that he minded. In a way it was kind of fun. He'd already read the novel the class was working on. So each time he was called he'd start with an uncertain “Um…” before launching into the explanation that he'd already prepared. And each time he was done he'd smile at the teacher, noting the look of anger and frustration on her face. 

Soon enough the class was over. And with the screech of the bell the students began to get up and leave. Stretching his arms he moved too, grabbing his bag and stuffing the ratty copy of the book he'd been given by the teacher. As he got to his feet he felt someone next to him. Turning he found that the rabbit had moved and was now standing next to him and… smiling at him. He raised an eyebrow at that. No one ever smiled at him. Not of their own choice at any rate. After a moment she spoke. “Hello. Im Judy. Judy Hopps.”

He continued to look at her for a moment. She was being formal. Way more formal than most people were to him. It was kinda creeping him out. But… she was being polite, so…

“Nick Wilde.”

She smiled again. “Nice to meet you Nick. So di-”

But he spoke over her. No point in letting her waste her time with him. “Look Judy. I appreciate that you're trying to do as the teacher told you, but I don't want a guide and I'm pretty sure you don't want to be my guide. So let's both save ourselves the time and not do this.”

She blinked at him, perhaps surprised at his abruptness. “Why don't you think I'd want to?”

He shrugged, Leaning back on his desk. “History. At every school i've ever gone to, no one has ever wanted to show me around. And I don't see any reason why this school should be different. So thanks for being polite, but you don't have to act like that to me.”

He moved, turning away from her and heading for the door of the classroom. A second later he felt her fall in step behind him. “I'm not acting! What if I really do wanna show you around?”

He turned to look at her, his eyebrow raised. “Then you'd be wasting your time. Trust me. I'm not gonna be here long enough to care where everything is.”

He left he classroom, still feeling her behind him as he wound his way through the crowds of students. “What's that supposed to mean? Hey… you... get back here!”

He ignored her, moving to his locker before pulling it open and grabbing the text book for his next class. Moving to close the door he shifted, finding she was still behind him. Mentally he sighed.  _ Hmm. Didn't think a bunny would be like THAT. _

He turned, looking her up and down for a moment. She wasn't unattractive, for a bunny. Tall and slim, bit of spunkiness to her attitude. Probably smart as a tack. Certainly things he'd look for in a girl, if he had the time. Still though. He couldn't help but smirk a little. There was usually one in every school, they just usually took a little longer to come out of the woodworks. “Look, Carrots. Maybe you're genuine in wanting to help me. Maybe this is some elaborate con and your friends are waiting to beat me up the moment we're alone. Don't give me that look, it's happened a few times. Maybe you think I'm cute and you have a thing for preds. I don't know. But do yourself a favor. Spend your time doing something you like. Just ignore me. Everyone does eventually.”

She glared at him, her foot thumbing angrilly against the floor. “You’re very rude Nick Wilde. Assuming you know me even though we've barely met. You don't know-”

He chuckled. “I may not know YOU. But I know your type. Smart, funny, kinda shy. Probably still have the friends you made in first grade. Never had a boyfriend but never really wanted one. Bet you even get uncomfortable when guys flirt with you. Trying to get into some good college out east so you can move away from this town and start living? But until then you don't let yourself really have a life because your family needs help. How's that, am I in the ballpark?”

He watched her bite her lip. Her face turning slightly red in what was probably anger. He smirked and leaned down a bit. “Like I said. I appreciate what you're trying to do IF you're sincere. But I don't need help. I've gotten along just fine at my other schools. And that's not going to change. So go, or in the words of…. Some old dead writer guy,” He put dramatic emphasis into his voice. “I release thee from thyne bondage to me.”

She huffed at him, her ears bristling in anger. “Gah! Fine. Welcome to zootopia high, jerk! You better not be late for classes or else i'll get in trouble.”

He nodded. “I won't be car-”

She stamped her foot angrily, her face tingling with anger and humiliation at the Nickname. “Stop calling me that!”

He couldn't help but grin at her anger. “Can't help it, you're just to cute when you-GAH!”

He gagged as she suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him down so they were eye level. Her eyes flashed dangerously. “Don't. Call. Me. Cute.”

_ Ok, she has A LOT of spunkiness.  _ He smiled sheepishly, putting his hands up dramatically. “Ok, my bad. Im new here.”

She second later she let him go and He straightened up, dramatically dusting himself off. He watched as she stormed off, vanishing into the crowd some of which had stopped to watch them. He smiled to himself, closing his locker before going to his next class.

 

\--------

 

Lunch was always chaos. People jostled and pushed their way into lines, each of them wanting to get their food as fast as possible and enjoy their precious hour off. Dropping down into her usual spot Judy waited. Almost like clockwork her friends emerged from their lines and sat around her. “Judy, what's this I hear about you threatening the new guy?”

She rolled her eyes, taking a bite of her carrot and lettuce sandwich. Next to her, her oldest friend Benjamin Clawhauser dropped into place, his tray laden with the usual two of everything. After a moment he nudged her with his elbow. “Come on, Dish.”

She smiled as she finished chewing. Clawhauser had always been a gossip. She shrugged, looking at her friend. “He called me cute.”

Clawhauser raised an eyebrow. “Ah yep, that will do it. Great way to get on your bad side. Still remember that time you punched that otter in junior high.”

She nodded, pausing as another one of her friends sat down, the arctic shrew FruFru. “Judy, the entire school is talking about the new guy. He's in your english class right?”

She nodded, taking another bite. “Yeah. Fo wa?”

FruFru spoke quickly but under her breath, as if worried others might hear. “My friend Arren, that artic wolf. He has gym with the new guy. He said the new guy's back is totally messed up. Scars everywhere. And he has this odd patch of fur on the back of his arm that's completely shaved ”

Judy cocked her head. “Arren? The same wolf who said the right line guard of the football team was gay and banging some fox? Come on, you really believe him?”

FruFru shook her head. “It's not just him. Fangmire saw it too. So did a lot of other guys. They're all talking about it.”

Judy frowned at that. Granted, she hadn't seen him without his shirt, but his arms, neck and face didn't show any signs of scars. Next to her Clawhauser leaned in his eyes twinkling slightly. “Any idea how he got them?”

FruFru shook her head. “No one knows. I guess some guys tried to ask him about them during gym class. But he told them to mind their own business or he'd give them a few scars of their own.”

Judy raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like he's got a temper. Maybe that's what got him his scars. Bet he mouthed off to the wrong per-”

She broke off as Clawhauser elbowed her in the side before hissing under his breath. “Shhh.”  

Glaring at him Judy caught his eye, turning to see what he was looking at. They weren't the only ones who'd gone quiet. Half the lunchroom seemed to have shut up as the new fox slowly walked through the room. He was walking casually, a chicken sandwich on his tray. Every now and then his ears would flick in the direction of a random whisper. She watched as he looked around, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly before-

He changed course, heading towards the large double doors that let out to common area. From the line of servers handing out food someone called out to him. “HEY! No trays leave the cafete-”

He ignored the shout, pushing open the doors before vanishing through them. The moment the doors slammed shut behind me the cafeteria burst into a loud buzz of voices. Next to her Clawhauser let out a teasing. “Oooooo. His first day and he's already gonna get in trouble.”

Judy shrugged and went back to her sandwich. If he'd not told her to leave him alone, she might have told him that there was a rule against cafeteria trays leaving the cafeteria. Smuggly she continued to eat, mostly ignoring her two friends gossiping about the new fox. Half way through lunch her final friend Jack Savage arrived, dropping down into the chair opposite her. 

“Hey Jack.”

The white and black striped rabbit smiled. “Hello Judy. How's it going?”

Before she could answer Clawhauser was speaking. “We were just discussing the new guy.”

Jack chuckled. “Course you were. You and everyone else. Seems he's the tall of the school, but no one seems to know anything real about him. It's all ‘my friend said’ or ‘I heard’ but nothing concrete.  A bit of a mystery.” 

Judy bit her lip, busying herself with the last few bites of her sandwich as she felt Jack's gaze shift to her. “Judy. I was wondering, that new movie with Justin Timberwolf comes out this weekend. Would you like to go see it with me?”

She felt her face heat up slightly at the question. She'd known Jack for years now, since he'd moved in across the street from her families burough. They'd been friends for a long time, but recently he'd change. He'd started to work out, his one skinny slender frame slowly growing to a well toned and muscled body. More recently he'd started to ask her out. At first she had thought he was being polite, but recently she'd noticed his idea of ‘hanging out’ seemed to always be something that sounded like a date. Aware that he was still looking at her, she swallowed her last bite of sandwich before speaking. “Um… maybe. Depends on if my family needs my help. The harvest is coming up. But… maybe?”

She hoped her answer was ok. At first she'd been a little flattered when she'd realized he was trying to subtly ask her out. But after the first few times it had started to feel awkward. Luckily her answer seemed to satisfy him. He smiled and nodded. “Of course. I'll call you the night before and we'll see.” Standing up jack grabbed his tray. “I'm gonna go the weight room. Would anyone like to join me?”

Clawhauser rolled his eyes. “No thank you. The only thing I'd workout are my eyes, oghling all that well toned sweaty eye candy.”

FruFru laughed. “I'd get crushed.”

Jack shrugged and smiled. “Alright. Bye. See you later Judy.”

As he walked away Judy groaned, slinking down in her seat a bit. Next to her Clawhauser looked sideways at her. “Just tell him you don't like him like that. He'll understand.”

She sighed. She knew she should. The longer this went on the harder it would be. But…

“If I do that he might get mad. I don't want to lose him as a friend.”

FruFru shrugged. “Seems like he's ok with not being ‘friends’ anymore.”

Clawhauser chuckled. “He'd rather be sitting in a tree k.I.S-”

She elbowed him in the side, making him laugh. Despite how she felt she chuckled too. 

 

\-----------

 

The rest of the day was a blur. She found out that in addition to english class she also had science and history with the new fox. He'd seen her both times, smiling politely at her before taking his seat and ignoring her, and everyone else for the rest of the class. A few times the teachers called on him to answer questions and when that happened she was admittedly a little surprised when he was able to answer them correctly even though he had had clearly not been paying attention to the class. After the third or fourth time that had happened Judy found herself wondering, was it possible he was bored because he knew all of the answers? She’d had a similar problem when she'd been younger. Most of her first grade year she'd been bored out of her mind, the basic math and spelling they were being taught were already things she'd learned working on her parent's farm. After a bit of a struggle she'd been allowed to move up a grade which had helped her to focus. Was it possible he was the same way?

As the final bell rang the class jumped to their feet, making a near stampede as everyone raced to the door. Judy hung back, staying in her desk for a few moments after the bell had sounded. She'd learned long ago not to rush the door at the bell. She took her time, gathering up her papers and homework, stowing them in her bag before standing and-

“Zzzzzz”

The sound of snoring made her turn, her eyes widening as she found Nick hunched slightly over his desk; asleep. Her eyes narrowed. How long had he been asleep for? She rolled her eyes, moving towards his desk before tapping one of the legs with her foot. “HEY. WAKE UP.”

He groaned at the sound of her voice, his eyes opening to look up at her. “Huh?”

She jerked her thumb at the door. “School’s over. Time to go home.”

He blinked at her again. “Oh.”

She stepped back, watching him as she stood up, his arms stretching dramatically before-

It happened just just a second, so fast she almost wasn't sure she'd truly seen it. As he stretched his arms upwards the sleeve of his polo shirt drifted down, revealing the edge of a barren spot where no fur seemed to grow. Judy's eyes widened as she remembered what FruFru had said during lunch. If he really did have a shaved patch… was it possible his back was just as scared as FruFru had heard?

“Thanks for the wake up call.” She blinked, finding that he'd gotten to his feet and was looking at her. She turned away, walking towards the door and quickly leaving the room. She was halfway down the now empty hallway when she heard his voice call to her. “See you tomorrow Carrots.”

She ground her teeth together, turning to look at his retreating form. “Stop calling me that!” 

His only response was to chuckle.

She tossed the books she didn't need for homework into her locker, quickly grabbing her backpack before exiting the school and stepping out into the warm summer sunlight. Around her a small gust of wind made the leaves on the trees billow and shake. Beyond the parking lot of the school a few cars drove by, no doubt kids racing home. She smiled to herself, inhaling the refreshing air. She liked this part of the city, the plains district was wide open and spacious, very much like the farms and prairies she had been raised and grown up in. Quickly making her way down the steps of her school she followed the sidewalk, turning and following it along the streets for several blocks. Checking her watch as she moved she moved a little faster. If she didn't hurry she'd miss the train that left in the next 30 minutes. And if that happened she'd be stuck her for another hour till the next train. Luckily she managed to make it in time, squeezing through the train doors a second before they closed. Panting slightly from her last minute sprint she looked around, her eyes quickly finding what she was looking for.

“Judy!”

She smiled and waived, heading towards the small group of her sisters and brothers. There was Jill the sister closest to her age. The twins Leo and Donnie, both of them absorbed in their handheld video game. Anna the youngest of the group who was only in 2nd grade. Tomas her moody but protective brother. And Mary the girly-girl of their little group. All of them waiting for her as they always did. As she neared them the youngest sister in the group Anna called out to her. “Guess what? There's a new kid in my class!”

She smiled at her youngest sister. “Really?”

Anna nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! He's a fox… I think… he doesn't look like any fox i've seen. He's all tan, like… sandy colored.”

She cocked her head. “How odd. There’s a new fox at my school too. But he's a red fox.” 

Jill scowled. “Let's hope that's all the new foxes.”

Judy frowned at her sister. “Jill…”

Jill looked at her. “What? I remember how Gideon used to behave around us. He was a jerk. We don't need more like him.”

Judy shook her head. “No ALL foxes are like Gideon.”

Jill crossed her arms. “I'll believe that when i see it.” 

Judy fell silent. She know it would do little good to argue with Jill. Her sister had always held a grudge, no doubt harkening back to when Gideon had terrorized their family when they'd been children. Nevermind the fact that Gideon had moved away and not bothered them in 10 years. Taking her seat on the small bench built into the train Judy busied herself with her bag and homework. The train ride home was 45 minutes long. She could at least get some of it done. And hopefully finish the rest of it that night after she had finished helping her family.

  
  


\----

  
  


The rest of the week passed the same as that first day. She woke up, caught the train into the city with her sisters, went to school, went to lunch, awkwardly avoided Jack's flirting, went back to class and, back home and then spent several hours helping her family. The same thing shed done for last year and a half. 

Until friday rolled around.

The bell for english class had just rung, Mrs Bellwether had been about to start speaking when the door to the class banged open. She jumped out the sound, having been busy with pulling out her book. But she froze as she caught sight of who was in the doorway; Nick Wilde. But not as she'd ever seen him before. The entire week he'd been clean and put together, looking like any other student who attended zootopia high. Perhaps maybe even a tad bit better than some of the other students did. But now standing in the doorway he looked… well, terrible. His fur was unkempt, clearly ungroomed, his eyes looked sunken and dim, his ears were flicked back against his head. Even his tail drooped as she slowly moved into the room. 

“Mr Wilde. You may be new to this school, but that is no ex-”

As he passed Bellwether he growled, shoving a piece of paper rough into the teacher's hands. “Note from the nurse. So save your lecture teach.”

He didn't even wait for Bellwether to respond, instead walking past her and dropping into his desk. After a few moments he leaned forward, groaning before taking a deep breath as he put his head in his hands. From the front of the class Bellwether glared at the note he'd shoved at her, for a few moments before putting it on her desk. “Alright, let's begin.”

But try as she might Judy found it harder than usual to focus on the class. Her kept drifting off, finding their way to Nick. He REALLY didn't look well. His eyes were closed, his head in his hands, he looked like he'd hardly slept and… was it her imagination or… as he shaking? What was wrong with him? He seriously looked like he was going to pass out, or vomit. And… if he had a note for the nurse… he'd have to have been like this all through first and second period. A few times Bellwether called on him to read and answer questions, but rather than give them his usual dramatic flare he gave short quick answers. Sitting down the moment he was done and putting his head back in his hands. He practically flinched when the bell rang signalling the end of class. 

As the rest of the students got up, exiting the classroom he remained seated. With a jolt Judy realized as she got to her feet that he was definitely shaking, his arms trembling ever so slightly. She bit her lip. She knew he'd told her to leave him alone… but… “Hey...” She watched as he slowly looked up at her. Lion christ he looked even worse up close. “... are you ok?”

He nodded and slowly stood up. “Y-yeah. Im fine. Ju-just… have a bad… REALLY bad migraine.”

She watched him closely as he grabbed his bag, hefting it over his shoulder before making for the door. She followed behind him. “Are you sure? You look… really bad.”

He looked back at her. “Gee, thanks Carrots. You know just to say to make a guy feel special.”

For the last week the use of that name had annoyed her, making her fume everytime he used it. But now it gave her some small, almost immeasurable sense of relief. If he was still teasing her… he couldn't have been too bad. Right? And he was still making jokes, that HAD to be a good sign. Silently she watched as he made his way through the crowded hallways. Normally he was oddly graceful, ducking and weaving through the crowds like some kind of acrobat. But today was different, he lumbered through the crowds. hardly bothering to move or weave and at one point even half knocking into a large bison Judy recognized as one of the members of the football team. “HEY!”

The bison turned to glare at Nick, who hadn't even stopped walking, seeming to have not noticed the jostle. It was like watching a car accident. You KNEW what was going to happen, but there was no way to stop it. The bison reached out, grabbing Nick by the back of his shirt, dragging him backwards before spinning him around to face him. “WATCH WHERE YOU G-”

In slow motion she watched as Nick’s eyes widened, his ears flattening completely against his head. A kind of twitch seemed to ripple through his whole body making his fur stand on end. and then- 

_ BLEHG! _

It was like something out of a movie. Nick lurched forward, his sides heaving as he vomited. The bison that had grabbed him yelled, shoving him backwards to try and avoid being hit by the nauseous spray. She watched as Nick staggered backwards, loosing his balance before crashing to the floor in a heap. A second later the sound of more vomiting. Then a new sound, students yelling, some of them moving away from him while others had pulled out phones and seemed to be recording Nick's misery.

She acted without thinking, rushing forward toward him. “Nick!”

He groaned weakly, from where he lay on the ground. His head turning to half look at her. “J-j-ju-” but his words vanished as a new wave of vomit came out, his sides shaking as he turned away from her.

“Judy!”

She looked up at the sound of her name, Clawhauser coming into her view, a worried expression on his spotted face. She motioned for him to come forward. “come on! Help me get him to the nurse.”

She'd always admired that about Clawhauser. No matter what happened, if it was gross or completely normal he was always willing to help. He probably hadn't said a word to Nick the entire week. Yet he didn't even hesitate to do as she'd said. Rushing forward to help her grab Nick. With a great deal of effort they managed to grab him by the shoulders and drag him to his feet. With a jolt of panic Judy found that his body had gone almost limp.

“Come on!”

They ran with him, sprinting down the hallway, half shoving people out of their way as they raced to the nurses office. She reached the door first, kicking it open forcibly with her foot before dragging Nick inside. The nurse, a middle-aged deer jumped in surprise her eyes widening in shock as they entered the room with Nick between them. “What happened!?”

Judy shook her head but continued to drag Nick forward towards one of the beds that was setup in the corner of the room. “He just started vomiting and then… he went all limp.”

With a grunt of effort Clawhauser took over, lifting Nick’s body up onto the bed before backing away as the nurse rushed in. After a few moments she turned to look at them. “I need you both to step outside while I examine him.”

“But-”

The nurse spoke louder. “NOW.”

She felt Clawhauser’s hand on her shoulder. “Come on.”

She bit her lip, her eyes going to Nick. He was moving now, weakly stirring from where he lay on the bed. For a moment she found herself momentarily stunned. For the last four days Nick had been aloof, confident to point of arrogance. As if nothing in the world could get to him. And now lay here, in a heap on the bed having just vomited all over a member of the football team and in front off probably half the school. It was like he was a completely different person now. Like someone had flipped a switch and reversed his demeanor. He seemed weak and frail now. Even as she stood there he groaned, his head turning weakly as he wretched violently.

“Come on Judy.” A moment later Clawhauser pulled her from the room.

 

\-------

 

When the bell for lunch rang Judy did something she'd never done before. She bolted from the classroom, grabbing her back and sprinting full speed from the class and down the hallway. But rather than turn right to go to the lunchroom she turned turned left, continuing her full paced sprint as until she was outside the nurses office. The door had barely opened before she was speaking. “How is Nick?”

The nurse looked up at her from behind her desk. “He's… going to be ok. But we're sending him home. Called his parents and they're on their way to pick him up.”

She breathed a small sigh of relief.  He was ok. Moving into the room Judy glanced in the direction of the bed she and Clawhauser had put the fox in but found privacy screen had been pulled over the area, blocking her view. She turned back to the nurse. “What was wrong with him? Why did he vomit?”

The nurse sighed. “Looks like it was food poisoning. But he's asleep now, and when his parents come to pick him up I'll talk with them.”

Judy's eyes widened. Food poisoning? She'd never had that herself, but some of her brothers and sisters had once. It had been horrible, some of them hadn't been able to get out of bed for several days. Yet he'd still come to school, even when he felt like that? The nurse was speaking again. “You're one of the students who brought him in, yes? Are you a friend of his?”

She, bot her lip. Was she a friend of his? After a second she nodded. “yeah. Judy Hopps.”

The nurse nodded. “Mrs Hopps, would you be willing to stay with him for a few minutes while I go and get my lunch?”

She blinked. “Uh… yeah, sure.”

The nurse smiled. “You don't need to do anything, but if his parents show up please have them wait so I can talk to them. It's very important that they keep their son hydrated and he get plenty of rest for the next few days.”

Judy nodded again. “ok. I'll make sure they stay so you can talk.”

The nurse stood up, giving her a small “Thank you” as she passed Judy who watched her go. The door closed a moment later, leaving her and Nick alone in the ro-

“Finally. Thought she'd never leave.”

She turned towards the sound the of the voice, her eyes widening as she watched Nick pull back the privacy screen and shakily stand up. “N-Nick.”

He smiled weakly at her. “Hey Carrots. Worried about me?”

She nodded without thinking. “You vomited all over B hall, of course I was worried.”

He smiled again. “That's sweet. But i'll be ok. Just gotta go home and rest.”

He started to move, as if he planned to-

“Hey. Where are you going?”

He looked at her with a slight frown on his face. “Home. Like the nurse said I should. Those big ears must be for show if you didn't hear her say that.”

She ignored the crack at her ears. “But your parents are coming. Won't th-”

She broke off as he chuckled coldly. “Trust me, they aren't. So either I slip out now while everyone is at lunch, or I'm stuck here until nurse busy body steps out again. Then again I think she's banging the football coach so maybe that won't be as long as I think.” 

She watched as he moved, still shaking as he slowly hobbled his way to the door. “Nick, You can barely walk.”

He didn't look back at her, and it was only because of her large ears that she heard what he mumbled. “Never stopped me before.”

Her eyes widened. Was this not the first time this had happened? BUt if this was food poisoning… how could it have happened before? Unless... he was regularly eating dangerous foods? “Nick…”

He turned to look at her, his face set and determined but still looking weaker than usual. “Look Carrots, if you're so worried about my health, come with me and make sure I don't collapse in the street. But im I'm not staying here any longer.”

Before she could respond he pulled open the door and stepped through it. She stood there frozen, was he serious? Was he going to go home like this when he could barely walk without shaking? And his comment, had he been this sick before? And why wouldn't his parents be coming to pick him up? She bit her lip, her mind squirming as it tried to make a decision on what to do. “Nick wait…”

She followed him, pushing open the door before rushing towards him as he slowly made his way towards the hall where his locker was. As she approached him he glanced at her. “Whatcha decide carrots? Gonna follow me home and make sure I don't die? Or are You gonna go enjoy mystery Friday in the cafeteria?”

She bit her lip, his gaze somehow feeling like it could see right through her. “I'd be a lousy friend if I let you collapse in the street.”

He chuckled weakly. “You’d be the worst friend ever.”

She glared at him slightly. “Don't push it.”

he smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Old habit.” 

As they reached his locker Judy fell silent, allowing Nick to open the lock before reaching in and grabbing his backpack. As he did so she watched as he dug into the pack, the sound of crinkling plastic meeting her ears a moment later. Her eyes narrowed slightly as a new smell hit her; something musky and pungent. She watched as he moved, popping what looked to be some kind oft pill into his mouth before swallowing it whole. “What was that you just took?”

He shrugged, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. “Fox remedy for stomach problems.” when she continued to look at him he elaborated. “A bit of a mint, sage, and some jinsang. Old herbal remedy I learned a few years ago.”

She blinked. “Really? Why not just take some Imodium or Pepto?”

Nick shook his head as he closed his locker. “I don't like taking pills if I can help it. Come on.”

She followed him down the hallway, pushing open the door to the outside before following him around the side of the building and into the parking lot. For a moment she wondered if he had a car, but instead they simply used the lot as cover slipping between the cars until they were at the sidewalk leading away from the school. Nick turned to look at her. “You don't have to do this you know. I'll be ok. You don’t need to get in trouble because of me. I can get home just fine.”

She raised an eyebrow as he said that. He still looked pretty bad. His fur was still unkempt and mangy, his eyes were still sunken and he was still shaking slightly. “No. I'm coming. Can't have you getting hit by a bus or something. How else would I be able to laugh at the dumb fox?”

She smiled at him and he smiled weakly back. “Ok, but we gotta make a small stop first.”

She blinked. Where could he possibly need to stop at a time like this? “Nick… you better not be faking this just to get out, of class. you better not be faking this just to get out of class.”

He shook his head. “It's not what you think carrots. I promise. Your ,what I assume to be perfect attendance record is being broken for a good reason.”

She continued to look at him for a moment before sighing. “ok. Fine. Lead the way.” She looked at his suspiciously for a moment. Growing up with as many brothers and sisters as she had, she’d learned to spot when people were faking being sick. His ears flicked back at her gaze. “W-what?”

She narrowed her eyes and spoke. “If this is some kind of a trick Nick Wilde, or a way to get out class…”

She let the threat hang in the air ominously. After a moment Nick shook his head, wincing a second later. “Fox’s honor Carrots. This isn't a scam or a con.”

She continued to look at him for a moment before nodding. “Ok, then lead on.”


	2. You Have A...?!

To his credit Nick wasn't wrong, she hadn't been expecting them to do, what they did. 

They quickly left the area of the school, hurrying along the sidewalk until they were a block or so away. But once they were out of sight of the building they slowed, moving at a more leisurely pace as they followed the road. Glancing sideways at Nick, Judy wondered where they were going. There wasn't anything particularly ‘fun’ in the surrounding area. The only things nearby was the grade school a few blocks away, the junior high school and a few small community buildings used for public events. “So where are we going?”

Nick nodded up the road. “First we gotta stop at the gas station up here,  I heed to use the bathroom.”

Judy blinked at him. “Why didn't you just use the ones at school?”

Nick looked sideways at her. “Because  I needed to get out of there before anyone noticed  I was gone.”

She shook her head. “ I still don't see why you couldn't just wait for your parents. Why don't you think they'd come get you?”

Nick chuckled coldy. “Cause the number  I gave them is to a hotline that just bullshits you.”

She stared at him. “What?”

He nodded. “it was the number for an acting school practice line. You call in and the person on the other end just reacts to what you say. They didn't actually reach my parents.”

Her eyes widened and she continued to stare at him. “why wouldn't you have them call your parents? You were vomiting and could barely hold your head up. Why wou-”

But he cut her off. “Here we are!”

She blinked at him, watching as he sped up, crossing the parking lot and stepping into the gas station they had arrived at. She sped up too, following him inside. From the counter a armadillo looked up at them. “yeah?”

Nick looked around. “you got a bathroom in this place?”

The armadillo shrugged. “paying customers only fox.”

Nick rolled his eyes before digging into his pocket and producing a battered and well worn wallet. “get a soda or something, whatever you like, my treat.”

She blinked, feeling him push a scrap of paper into her hands. Looking down at the money Judy's eyes widened a bit. Money had always been a little tight with her family. That was nothing new for any of the farming families that lived on the outskirts of the city. They weren't poor, but they didn't usually have a lot of extra money to spend. So the sight of the $50 bill Nick had shoved at her was more money then she'd been given to spend however she wanted, in a long time. She stared at the money before looking to him. “a-are you sure?”

He shrugged. “yeah. whatever you like. As a thank you for dragging my sorry ass to the nurse.”

She bit her lip. On one hand she felt a little odd, $50 was a lot of money for him to just give her. On the other hand… 

She slowly wandered through the little store, scanning the shelves of candy, soda, snacks and other random nik-naks. Behind her Nick looked too, finally grabbing two bottles of some caffeine free soda before waiting for her to make her selection. After several minutes she made her choice, grabbing a soda for herself and several small bits of candy for her siblings later. As she put the stuff on the counter Nick looked at her. “Sweet Tooth Carrots?”

She smiles sheepishly at him. “for my brothers and sisters.”

Nick's eyes widened a bit. “didn't know you had any siblings.”

She raised an eyebrow at him and after a moment he amended. “Well…  I didn't want to assume. Hey dude, we bought something. Bathroom key please.”

The armadillo took his time, ringing in each item before taking the $50, from Judy. Only then did he hood out the key for Nick to take. The fox snatched the key from him before rushing off. Watching Nick rush off Judy heard the cashier mumble. “damn fox.”

She turned to glare at him, grabbing the change he held out for her a moment later before walking out of the store and dropping onto a small bench just outside. Opening the soda Judy took a sip, savoring the tingling fruity flavors as she waited. She glanced at the change she'd been given. She still had almost $35 left. Would Nick want that back? He'd seemed so… unconcerned about giving her $50. Could it be… that, that wasn't a lot of money to him?

She blinked at that idea. Zootopia high was a public school, certainly not a rich private academy. If Nick really was rich to not care about $50… why would he be going to a public school? And he still hadn't answered why he didn't want his parents to know why he was sick. Or even where they were go-

“Ok, we can go now.”

She turned at the sound of his voice, her eyes widening a moment later as Nick emerged from the store. He'd changed his clothes, his school uniform being replaced by a pair of tan pants and a green floral print Hawaiian shirt. She stared at him, the change in clothes made him look older, more mature. In fact if she hadn't known it was him, She might have thought they were two different people. After a second he did a dramatic twirl. “how do I look Carrots?”

She blinked at him, still taking in his new look. “you…. Uh…. Why….”

Nick grinned. “ I think what you mean to say is,” he changed his voice to sound a bit like her. “holy fuck Nick! You look sexy as hell!”

She raised an eyebrow at him, a smile twitching at her lips. “ I've never said anything like that in my life. EVER.”

Nick shrugged and chuckled. “ah well, you missed your chance then.”

He started walking again, with her hurrying to catch up with him as they returned to the sidewalk. “Nick, where are we going?”

Nick smiled mischievously at her. “maybe  I just wanted you to see me in normal clothes Carrots. ever think of that?”

Judy stopped walking, her eyes narrowing. “Wilde…”

Nick held up his hands. “Joking Carrots. Jo-”

He broke off as a kind of shudder rippled through him. Judy's eyes widened as she watched Nick stagger a bit off to the side, away from the road. She rushed to his side, watching as he hunched over the grass; taking deep shaking breaths, his mouth hanging open.

“n-Nick… are you ok?” He nodded, but continued to pant and shudder. Reaching out to touch his shoulder Judy spoke softly. “Nick… come on. We need to go back.”

But Nick shook his head, slowly straightening up. “no.”

Judy looked back  I'm the direction of the school. “but, your pa-”

Nick pulled his shoulder away from her roughly, his voice angry. “They're not coming Judy! They've never come when  I needed them! So just forget it. If you wanna go back, then go; but I'm not.”

She watched as he began to move, walking away from her angrily. Looking back in the direction of the school Judy bit her lip before rushing to catch up with Nick. He glanced sideways at her, noting the way her ears had gone down timidly. “s-sorry..I…  I didn't mean-”

He sighed. “no… look… you… you know how you grew up with a family who loves you and supports your choices?” she nodded and Nick shook his head. “ I didn't. My parents have NEVER come. Even when  I begged and pleaded for them. Now please, let's drop it. How about… tell me about your family?”

She frowned at him. What kind of parents did he have if they didn't come for him when he clearly needed help? But his question about her family caught her off guard slightly. “my family?”

Nick shrugged. “yeah. You have brothers and sisters. Tell me about them.”

She blinked, still a little taken aback. “I...ok...well…”

So she began to talk. Telling him about growing up on a farm. About her brothers and sisters and how sometimes she felt like she might as well be just a number to her family. How sometimes she and her siblings fought and how she really wanted to go to a college away from the city so she wouldn't have to go back and help on the farm. He listened intently, nodding when appropriate and letting out the occasional “hmmm” and “oh” when appropriate.

She'd just begun to talk about her friends at school when he held up his hand. “Hang on. We're here.” She stared at the building in front of her. Zootopia elementary school? Briefly she remembered this was where her youngest sister Anna went to school. Why were they here? “ok, wait here carrot.”

His words shook her from her thoughts m “wait, what?”

He looked at her. “stay here.  I'll be back in a bit.”

She stared at him. “Nick, what are we doing here? This is an elementary school.”

Nick nodded. “ I know. Wait here.” he grinned at her confusion, walking away from her and up the steps before pulling open the door and vanishing inside. Judy shifted nervously, unsure of what to do. She'd followed him this far, and a quick look at her phone told her lunch was almost over, no way she could make it back to school and not miss some of the next period. The glance also revealed she had been send around a dozen texts from her friends.

Did u get held up?

Skippng lunch?

R u in the library?

Wher r u?

Hello?

Judy, where are you? lunch is almost over.  I heard you had to help the new fox to the nurse, did he make you sick too?

The last message was from Jack. Sighing to herself she looked around. Whatever Nick was doing, she didn't know how long he'd be. And there was no point in panicking her friends, any more than she had already. Quickly she typed out a reply to their questions.  Sorry. Nick decided to walk home. So  I came with to make sure he doesn’t pass out in the street and get hit by a bus.  Tapping the send button she watched as little green check marks appeared next to her message a moment later, a sign her friends had gotten and were reading her message. 

Clawhauser responded first.  Yr a good frend Judy.  I'll covr 4 u in science.

Then FruFru.  Gosh. ok, tell us next time though. We wer worried about u

And lastly Jack.  Please be careful Judy. There is no telling what that fox may do now that he’s away from the school. If he tries anything funny, run away and find the police.

She frowned at Jack’s message. She knew that Jack was cautious around predators. Just like her family jack had been terrorized by the fox, Gideon Grey. But… Nick hadn't acted anything like gideon. Sure he was a bit… abrupt and could be… frustrating with his teasing. But he wasn't a bully. He was… honestly he was a... mystery. What were they doing here? What possible reason could they have for being at an elementary school? And why had Nick changed before coming here? And why-

But her train of thought was interrupted as the doors to the school opened and-

“hahahah! Yay Daddy!!”

Judy's eyes widened as Nick emerged from the school, but not alone. A small sand colored fox was with him; the easily first second grade fox riding on his shoulders and giggling excitedly. She stared at him as he scurried down the steps of the school, bouncing the small fox; making him giggle and cling to Nick's ears. As Nick neared her she heard him speak. “ I want you to meet one of my friends.” he stopped in front of her, nodding his head at her; making the small fox giggle again as he suddenly shifted forward a bit. “this is Daddy’s friend, Judy Hopps.” 

the small fox smiled and waved at her. “hi joody!”

She felt her lips twitch in a faint smile at the mispronunciation of her name by the young fox. “hello.”

Nick grinned at her. “Judy. This is Finnick.” she stared at him, momentarily surprise. A Son? A SON?! They weren't even the same species of fox. And she could see no signs that Finnick was some kind of hybrid. And yet this little desert fox was calling Nick his father So how…

She watched as Finnick's eyes looked her up and down. “you have big ears.”

Nick nodded his head making Finnick squeal slightly. “be nice dude. She's a friend.”

Finnick looked down a little. “Sorry.”

She smiled. “its ok. They are pretty big.”

Finnish giggled and Nick smiled at her. She smiled back at the pair. “so Nick…… You never told me you had a…. Son”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “cause  I had people just lining up to talk to me. If your curious,”  her expression told him she was VERY curious. “ I'll explain more when we get home.”

They started to move again. Now heading in the direction Judy recognized as the way to train station. As they walked Finnick talked animatedly about his class. How they were starting to learn math and how he was making a few new friends. It was sweet. Definitely a side of Nick she'd never expected. The two foxes laughed and played as they walked. Every now and then Nick would give off a small hop, making the small fox giggle and grab onto Nick's ears to stay on his shoulders. “so Finnick…. What's Nick like as a… father?”

From his spot atop Nick's shoulders Finnick grinned. “he the bestestest Daddy ever! We have lots a fun togever!”

Nick smiled up at the smaller fox. “only cause you're the bestestest little dude a fox could ever want!”

The train station was coming into view now. She glanced at Nick. “which train do you take?”

Nick shrugged. “the 28 into the residential parks. You?”

Judy shrugged too. “the 31 out to the countryside.”

Nick looked sideways at her. “what's it like living out there?”

Judy blinked. “in the country? Its ok.  I think I'd rather live here in the city. There's more to do.”

Nick chuckled. “sorry to burst your bubble Carrots. But living in the city sucks. It's crowded. Its loud. And Everything to do is so expensive.  I've rather live out in the country. Fresh air. Wide open spaces. Sooo much better.”

Finnick looked down at Nick. “plus we could grow bruberries!”

Nick grinned up at him. “oh yes! Many MANY blueberries!”

He caught her eye. “his favorite food.”

She smiled and nodded. 

 

\-------

 

The train ride was a bit different than he was used to. Normally the cars were packed with people on their way. But at this time of day they were almost completely empty. Taking a seat Judy watched as Nick pulled out one of the diet sodas he'd gotten earlier before handing it to Finnick. “drink it slowly.”

Finnick nodded and busied himself with opening the bottle. As he did so Judy leaned in closer to Nick. “hey, how you feeling?”

Nick shrugged. “ I'm ok  I guess. Stomach still hurts, but that remedy has kicked in so  I don't feel like I'm gonna hurl anymore. Still feel pretty lousy though.”

Judy smiled weakly. “well… at least no more vomiting.”

Nick chuckled. “actually Finnick would probably think its cool. Hes at the age were gross things are cool.”

She looked to Finnick who was standing a little ways away, looking out the windows as the  train began yo move. “so… he's your….?”

her voice trailed off. Nick sighed. “it's… complicated.  I'll explain at the house, but not here. He doesn't need to know any of this. Not yet.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “ok. But… is he… cause… you know...?”

Nick looked at her. “what? Cause he's not a red fox?”

Judy nodded and Nick shrugged. “told him his fur will turn red when he's older.”

Judy shook her head. “Nick. You know what  I mean.”

Nick sighed. “yeah  I do Carrots. But it doesn't matter to me. Family are those people who love you. Finnick is my family because  I SAY so, not because we have the same DNA. And that's all there is too it. He may call me Daddy because that's all he knows me as. But no matter the label  he is my family.”

She chewed her lip. She wanted to ask more questions but the way Nick had spoke… “so… where in the residential park do you live?”

Nick smiled. “we have a little den in the eastern corner. You?”

Judy shrugged. “my family lives in… well a pretty big borough out on the outskirts of bunny borough.”

Nick blinked at her in surprise. “bunnyburrow." Isn't that like… almost two hours away?”

She nodded. “yeah, about that. Why?”

Nick let out a low whistle. “heck of a commute.”

Judy shrugged. They chatted lightly as the train rattled along its track. Outside the surroundings changed. The wide open grass fields morphed slowly from short groomed fields and spaces to tall grasslands of wheat and gold. Soon enough a small ding met their ears followed by a soft voice. “Now arriving at Residential Park. Please deboard in an orderly fashion.”

Nick smiled, standing up and rushing to grab Finnick who giggled and squealed loudly as Nick lifted him back up to his shoulders. Following them off the team Judy took a moment to look around, huge windows lining the station walls allowed her to seethe district in a spectacular 360. She'd passed through this district a few times. Clawhauser’s home was a district over in the jungle block. But she'd never really taken the time to look around. The entire district was blanketed in grass, tall golden wheat colored grasses. As the wind blew through the district the grasses swayed and rippled like water. The temperature was a little cooler than she was used to, but not unpleasant. 

Hurrying to walk next to Nick and Finnick, Judy followed them out of the station and down the steps. “so how far away is your home from here?”

Nick shook his head. “not far. We'll be there in a few minutes.”

She nodded, following closely as he led her through the world of waist high grass and plants. Stone paths had been laid out, forming walkways through the grasses. Occasionally as they'd pass others along the path. At first the people seemed pleasant, smiling at Judy but with a small jolt Judy found that the people’s smiles faltered slightly when they spotted Nick and Finnick. Even here, were foxes looked down on? Or was it because Finnick was still calling Nick ‘Daddy’ as he talked about the day he’d had at school? Soon enough they arrived at Nick and Finnick’s home, a small little den dug down into the earth. She blinked. It was kinda cute actually. A set of small stone steps lead down a few feet to a door that opened into the house. Inside the door was a small room, some kind of sitting room or parlor perhaps? And a hallway in the back of the room led deeper underground and to the main areas. She watched as Nick rolled his shoulders, swinging Finnick down off his shoulders before setting him on the floor. “Why don't you go get started on that color homework? And then when you're done you and Daddy can watch a little tv?”

 

Finnick squealed and ran off in the direction of what Judy assumed was his room. Just before he vanished out of sight Finnick stopped, turning to look at them before waving a little. “Bye joody.”

She smiled and waved back, watching as he vanished a moment later. Next to her Nick moved, stepping through a doorway before motioning for her to follow him. They emerged into what appeared to be the living room, a couch had been setup, along with a small table and a tv. She watched as Nick dropped down onto the couch and groaned, his head sinking back to rest against the cushion. After a few moments he spoke. “So.... you still want that explanation?”

Judy shifted a bit. She did, but…

“Can  I use your bathroom first?”

Nick nodded and gestured to the doorway they’d come through. “Down the hall the way Finnick went, it’s the 2nd door on your left.”

She nodded gratefully before following his instructions and retreating down the hallway to the second door. She wasn't exactly sure what she had expected from a vulpine bathroom. It was actually very similar to the one she and her family had back at home. About the only difference she could see was that the tub was bigger, maybe twice the size as her families. The entire room was laid in a kind of dark blue tile with the occasional white tile to add a bit of color. Moving to the sink to wash her hands Judy found herself smiling a bit. Two toothbrushes sat in a little holder next to the sink, the normal one clearly Nicks. But the one for Finnick was childish, a bright collection of multicolored plastics and cartoon characters. Washing her hands quickly Judy frowned, she couldn't find the soap. It wasn’t on or next to the sink. Her eyes drifted to a medicine cabinet that hung on the wall next to the sink. It would be an odd place to put the soap, but…

She cocked her head as she moved to open the cabinet. Why did there appear to be a childproof lock on it? With a bit of fumbling she managed to open the mechanism, finally realizing she had to push the small last backwards before opening the mirrored door and-

She blinked, her mind pausing for a moment as it processed what she was looking at. Pill bottles.... SEVERAL pill bottles, at least…. 11 of them. She stared at them, the names of the medications staring back at her; making her head hurt slightly as she tried to pronounce them. But another thing grabbed her attention then, something that made her heart jolt. Every bottle had the same name on it; ‘Nickolas Piberius Wilde’. Her eyes widened as the realization hit her. These were Nick’s pills. These were… Nick’s… all of them. Her eyes scanned the bottles. ‘Take one in the morning to reduce pain.’ ‘take before each meal to treat nausea.’ ‘take one before sleep to handle insomnia.’ the list of things they treated went on and on.  _ Nick… _

But a sound from the next room over made her jump. She shook herself out of her stunned silence, a feeling of shame welling up in her stomach a moment later. She was snooping. He’d invited her into their home and she was snooping, even if she hadn't intended to. She closed the medicine cabinet, biting her lip as the array of pill bottles vanished from view. Slowly she left the bathroom, walking almost as if in a daze back to the living room. “Ni-”

“Zzzzzzzzzz.”

The sound of his snore made her blink again. While she’d been gone he’d laid down on the couch, his head resting against a small pillow as he snored. She shifted a bit uncomfortably. She really did want an explanation, now more than ever before. Nick had a son? And a small pharmacy worth of pills that he had to take? What was going on? In the back of her mind she was REALLY starting to doubt that it was food poisoning that had made him so sick at school. If it had been food poisoning, why wasn't Finnick sick? She could only assume they ate the same foods. So why did the smaller desert fox seem perfectly healthy while Nick had been violently ill?

But as Nick let out another soft snore she felt her shame well up again. Did she really have any right to demand those answers that she wanted? Nick had said things with him and Finnick were complicated and that Finnick was to young to completely understand them. Not only that but the entire reason they’d snuck out of school was so he could come home and rest. Was she really going to wake him up and demand those answers when he clearly seemed to be unwell and exhausted?  _ No. no you’re not Mrs nosey bunny. It’s not your place and it’s not right.  _

She listened to the little voice in her head. She was a guest here. She’d been invited in when she had no real reason to be. So butting into Nick’s family and their private matters was not something she had any right to do. She shoved her questions down. Another time… maybe… if she and Nick became closer friends. For now she’d let him rest. It would take her an hour or so to get back to the plains district and the train station to go home. But…

Slowly she moved back down the hallway, looking at the doors until she found one with a child’s drawing on it. Knocking on the door she waited, the response of “yeah?” meeting her ears a moment later. She opened the door, smiling as she found Finnick sitting in his room working on his homework. “H I joody.”

“Hello Finnick.  I'm going to go, but  I was wondering, do you have something  I could write with and some paper?” Finnick nodded and produced a marker and piece of paper before giving them to her. “Thanks.  I just wanted to leave your dad a little note. He fell asleep.”

Finnick giggled a bit. “Daddy makes funny noises when he sleeps. Like a lion.”

She nodded. “Yeah he does. Keep at your homework ok? It was nice meeting you.”

Finnick nodded and returned to his work as she closed the door. Quickly she wrote her phone number down on the scrap of paper she’d been given. Quickly she put the paper on the coffee table in front of the couch before slowly heading for the front door. She still had question, yes. Oh gods yes did she have LOTS of questions. But for now she’d leave them be, or… try to. As quietly as she could she closed the door and rushed back to the train station. 


	3. More questions and loosing friends

room. Hurriedly pulling up her computer and thanking her lucky stars when she found the email clawhauser had sent her about what she’d missed in class. Luckily she hadn't missed much. She had to read a chapter in science class. And in math she had to do some problems out of the textbook. But even as she tried to focus on those assignments her mind kept wandering. It had come as a huge shock to her, that Nick could possibly have a son. He didn't look that old, if his grade was any indication he was probably 16 or 17 like she was. Then again telling the age of a fox could be very tricky. She’d seen some that looked older but were only teenagers. And she’d met some that looked like teenagers but were much younger. How old was Nick really?

Finnick was in first grade, so that meant the young fox was at least five or six years old. That meant that even if Nick was 17 then…

She frowned at her mental math. It was simple math, impossible for her to screw up. But it still made no sense. There was no way Nick had had a kid when he was 11, that just couldn't be possible. Which meant… either Nick was much older than he was pretending to be. Or… things really were complicated between him and Finnick, more so than just being different species. But then why did Finnick call Nick ‘dad’?  Nick had said that was because Finnick didn't know any other name for him. So… it certainly sounded like things between them were complicated. 

_ Don't forget all those pills.  _ She groaned, that little voice in her head could be so annoying sometimes. First it would tell her she was being nosey. That it wasn't ok to be snooping. Now it was curious though. Why did Nick have all those pills? She’d seen some for pain management, nausea, insomnia, and a few other ailments that she assumed were fairly common to almost anyone. Yet the pills hadn't been over the counter ones, that just anyone could buy. These had been in prescription bottles, which meant a doctor was prescribing them. Which meant that whatever Nick was suffering through was something he was seeing a doctor about. Which mea-

She‘d been so wrapped up in her thoughts that the sound of her cell phone buzzing made her jump. She grabbed her phone, taking a deep breath before answering it, not even bothering to look at the number that was calling. “Nick?”

“No…. Jack.” 

_ Fuck.  _ “oh. Hey, sorry.” mentally she kicked herself. 

On the other end of the line Jack sounded concerned. “Why are you expecting a call from Wilde?” Judy sighed, mentally trying to decide how much to tell him. After a few moments of silence Jack spoke again. “Judy, did something happen while you were with that fox? Did he… try something?”

She could not help but narrow her eyes slightly at his use of the word ‘fox’. He sounded like Jill. “No jack.  **Nick** ,” she emphasized his name. “Didn't try anything. But I left him my phone number and I thought he might try to call me.”

Jack remained silent for a few moments. “Oh, ok. So where did you and he go? You said you were going to help him home after he was sick?”

She nodded, more to herself than to anyone else. “Yeah. we,”  _ he doesn't need to know about Finnick. It’s none of his business.  _ “Went to the train station and then to the residential park. He showed me where his home is. And then I left him to rest.”

She could hear the surprise in jack’s voice. “The residential park?”

Again she nodded. “Yeah. why?”

Jack responded a moment later. “That can be a rather… expensive part of the city to live in. his parents must have decent jobs to afford that.”

She bit her lip. She hadn't even thought about the money. The way he’d so casually give her a $50 and told her to keep the change. And now that she thought about it, yes. She had heard before that the area Nick lived in could be a bit pricey than other places. And again a question flickered through her mind. Was Nick's financial situation better than she knew? Could it be that he didn't have to worry about money because he had a lot of it? Could it be-

“Judy? Are you still there?”

The sound of jack's voice pulled her back to reality, making her shake her head and refocus on the call. “yeah, s-sorry.”

Jack chuckled. "It's ok. I remember when we used to play catch, and you'd get so deep in your thoughts you'd get hit by the ball.”

Judy felt her ears burn with embarrassment. “that only happened…. A few times.”

Again Jack Chuckled. “anyways, do you think you'll be able to join me for the movie tomorrow?”

At this she bit her lip. In truth she really didn't want to go. Not that she didn't want to see jack, she did. But… she really didn't want to go on a date with him. "I can't get enough time away for a whole movie. Could… could we maybe do lunch? Like we used to when we were little?”

There was no missing the disappointment in his voice. “yeah. I can do that.”

They talked for a few minutes more, deciding they would go to a burger place called The Coop. As she hung up the phone Judy sighed again. This was getting out of hand. She couldn't keep dodging him like this. It wasn't fair to him. tomorrow, at the lunch; She'd tell him then. She didn't like him like that. They had been friends for years. And yes, there was no denying that as a rabbit he was attractive. But she just didn't like him that way. She just hoped he'd understand. He'd be sad, for sure. Maybe even a little upset that it had taken her this long to tell him. But… they'd still be friends? Ri-

The sound of a text reaching her phone made her look down. Her brow furrowed a moment later. She didn't recognize the number. Opening the message she quickly scanned it. 

Hey carrots. Sorry I fell asleep. I just wanted to say… thanks. For walking me home. It was… nice of you to do. Finnick says hi btw. He liked meeting you. Um… it goes without saying but… please don't tell anyone about Finnick. If you still want me to explain I will. But… please don't tell anyone.

A moment later another message popped up.

Finnick wanted me to ask if you have a sister named Anna. He says there's a bunny in his class with the same last name.

She blinked, remembering what anna had said earlier in the week. About there being a sandy colored fox in her class. Quickly she typed out a response. 

Its ok. You needed sleep. Be sure to drink lots of water. Nurse said that's important for food poisoning. It was nice meeting him too. Of course, I won't tell anyone about him. As for the explanation… I'll admit I'm curious. But… it's your business. You don't have to tell me if you don't want too. And yes, Anna is my youngest sister. She actually mentioned Finnick before. But I didn't know about the connection.

She pressed send and then bit her lip for a moment.

How are you feeling?

There was several moments before she got his response. 

Im ok, I guess. I still feel like crap. Tried eating some food. Didn't go well.

She bit her lip, in the back of her mind she wondered what kind of foods Nick had tried to eat. Had it been healthy organic foods? Or had it been greasy fast food? Like so many people in the city ate. In a way she and her family had been ‘spoiled’ when it came to food they could just eat the food they didn't sell. But in the city she knew it was harder to find healthy foods. Maybe… maybe she should bring him some food? With the harvest coming up they would need to make room for storage. Yes, that seemed like a good idea. She felt her hand buzz again in her hands. She looked down at the message.

So… maybe it's dumb of me to ask. But… are we friends?

She stared at the message. Im a way she could understand why he was asking. They'd known each other only a week. Their first few interactions hadn't gone well. Honestly she'd have been fine if they'd never spoken again. But then he'd gotten sick and for a moment she'd seen another side of him. A side that was so wildly different from his normal demeanor that it was almost startling. And as rude as he had been to her on his first day, she wasn't the kind of person who could just let someone suffer like that. Not when they so clearly needed help. Slowly she responded, making sure to choose her words carefully.

You can be very frustrating Nick. But I think today proved we can be friendly with each other. So… we could try being friends.

She waited for him to respond, oddly nervous for some reason. She wasn't sure why, but her heart beat seemed to speed up a bit as she waited for-

I'd... like that. It's been a while since i've had any friends. Sorry if I suck at it.

She wasn't sure why, but she was smiling now. A week ago he'd infuriated her, calling her carrots, being rude, calling her cute; in a single day he'd pushed every one of her buttons. But now… things had changed. Now they could at least be friendly to each other. Again her phone buzzed.

Gotta go now. Time for Finnicks bath. Which means it's time for my half marathon. Promise I won't bug you to much now that I have your number. See you on monday.

She smiled at the mention of Finnick’s bath. Vaguely she wondered if he was easier to bath than some of her siblings. Then again for all she knew, foxes liked bathes.

Ok. See you later.

 

\-------

 

The next day was mostly uneventful. Just as they'd agreed Jack Showed up at her house at 3 in the afternoon for their lunch. The walk from the house to the train station was a bit forced. She wasn't sure what to talk about so she mostly listened to what he said, allowing him to talk about his family and his classes. It wasn't terrible. She learned his older brother had gone to college and was doing well. She also learned he shared a economics class with Nick, something that piqued her interest a bit. Apparently Nick was just as flippant and uninterested in economics as he seemed in his other classes. Yet despite the attitude he was constantly getting questions correct, much to the surprise of the teacher.

The food at the restaurant was ok. Not great, but not terrible. They ordered veggie burgers and an order of fries. Jack had perhaps tried to be romantic, ordering them a single large fry for them to share. That made her a bit uncomfortable. In the back of her mind she wondered if he would try to brush their hands together, perhaps using the excuse of them having been both reaching for the same fry. So she timed her movements, only reaching for fries when both his hands were occupied with bringing his veggie burger to his mouth for another bite. It was a relief when the food was gone. but that relief sank ask Jack spoke. “this was nice. Seems like we never get to just hangout anymore, like we used to.”

She bit her lip. Her first thought was to point out how that was because he kept trying to trick her into a date. “yeah… jack… can we… ta-”

"Isn't that Wilde? From school?” as he spoke Jack pointed across the street. Her head snapped in the direction Jack was pointing. Across the street a series of shops stood. One of them, then one Jack Was pointing to was newer. The name Hot Box Farma glowing in green lettering. She knew what the shop was. Everyone in the city did. And even if the products sold there were legal and had been for years it was still not something everyone agreed with. But that didn't stop her eyes from widening as she found that it was indeed Nick that Jack Had seen. It was definitely Nick, his red fur making him rather obvious when compared to the other people walking along the street.

Her eyes widened a bit more as they fell upon the bag tucked under Nick's arm, clearly having come from the dispensary Nick had just stepped out of. Next to her Jack spoke, his voice dripping with disapproval. “so, he's one of THOSE people.”

She looked at him. “what kind of people?”

Jack jerked his head in the direction of the store Nick had come out of. “a drug user. Everyone knows that stuff should be illegal. All it does is promote drug use and get people primed to do worse.”

She blinked at him. “maybe. But wasn't most modern medicine established in the same way? Someone took something, said ‘hey this seems to help’ and did a bunch of research to prove it.”

Jack scowled at her. “yes. In a lab, after years of study and research. And after it gone through hundreds of drug trials and tests. Run by people who went to medical school and have the proper training. You think the people who run those stores,” again he jerked his head at the dispensary. “have a medical licenses? Or have gone to any kind of medical schooling?

Or do you think they’re just a bunch of stoners who get high and sell their drugs to everyone else? Face it Judy, they’re just drug dealers with a legal address.”

Judy’s face twisted into a frown. “But it has gone through some testing. Sure, maybe not as much as other drugs, but from what I've seen it does seem to help people. Hasn't it been proven to help people who have a nausea, cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson's and even anxiety?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Oh come on. You believe that crap? All those conditions can also be treated with REAL medicine. The kind that went through the trails and testing. Besides,” he gestured to Nick who had almost walked out of sight as he turned the corner of the building. "It doesn't look like HE has any kind of medical ‘need’ for that stuff. So then why was he in there? Either he faked his way in with some bullshit fake medical ID or he’s buying it to use and feed his own habit, or sell it. Face it Judy. He’s a junky, maybe not a psycho one like the people who do worse drugs; but he’s still a junky. Or a drug dealer.”

She bit her lip, anger flaring up in her stomach at jack’s words. “How can you say that? How can you assume these things about him without even talking to him? What gives you the right to lump him in with a group of people when you know nothing about him?” for a moment her mind flashed back to the pharmacy’s worth of pills in Nick’s medicine cabinet. “He could be sick for all you know. He could have a totally legitimate reason for using marijuana.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Anyone who chooses to take unproven and dangerous drugs over medically sound and proven medicine is a junky Judy. Plain and si- HEY! Where are you going?”

She ignored him, storming away from the table she and Jack Had been sharing. Her hands were balled into fists and it was taking A LOT of self restraint to not yell at jack. She could hear him moving behind her, no doubt trying to catch up to her. “Judy! Wait. Look I know he seems like a nice guy. But he’s a fox. I'm just trying to protect y-”

Something inside her snapped. Some barrier she’d long since setup to help her deal with the way Jack Had been acting for the last few years. She’d always known he'd been a little closed minded. But this... 

She whirled around her hand snapping forward and-

**SMACK**

She watched as Jack Staggered back, the force of the slap to the side of his face making him stumble. “PROTECT ME?! THE ONLY PERSON I NEED PROTECTING FROM IS YOU, JACK! YOU AND THESE STUPID ATTEMPTS TO TRICK ME INTO GOING ON A DATE WITH YOU! I DON'T LIKE YOU LIKE THAT JACK! AND THE REASON WE HAVEN'T BEEN HANGING OUT AS MUCH IS BECAUSE ALL OF THESE ATTEMPTS TO TAKE ME ON A DATE!” she was aware that people were staring at her, but she didn't care. She’d never been this mad before in her life. It emboldened her, making her feel braver than she had in years. “HOW DARE YOU CALL Nick A JUNKY OR A DRUG DEALER! HAVE YOU EVEN SPOKEN TO HIM? HAVE YOU EVEN TAKEN THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW HIM? I HAVE! HE’S SWEET AND CARING AND MUCH MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE KNOWS. IF HE WANTS TO GET STONED THEN THAT’S HIS CHOICE, IT’S LEGAL, REMEMBER?!” she forced herself to breath, her hands still shaking in anger. “Just because you don't like him, doesn't mean that I can't be friends with him. So do us both a favor, stop asking me out on these secret dates. And just leave me alone until you grow up.”

She stormed off, her heart still hammering in her chest; leaving Jack Behind.  _ Stupid Jack And his stupid fucking dates! Fuck him!  _ She pushed her way through the crowded sidewalk. Several people glared at her as she forced her way through the crowd. Rather than stop or shrink away she glared back, the anger in her veins making her feel a lot bigger than she was. Angrily she glanced at her watch. Great, she still had 45 whole minutes before she could take the train back home and-

The sound of her phone buzzing made her growl. It was probably Jack Calling to…

But her train of thought drifted off as the message opened. 

That was nice of you to say. Maybe a little public, but still nice.

She blinked at the message, her eyes drifting over the sender’s name. Wait….he’d heard her? How had he heard her? He’d been out of sight when she’d said it. Had she really been yelling that loud? She bit her lip, her anger seeming to evaporate as she tried to figure out how to respond. But Nick must have known what she was thinking, because her phone buzzed again. 

Yeah carrots, I heard you. Your voice is pretty loud when you're mad. And dare I say… maybe a tiny bit cute. (After the word there was an emoji of a fox ducking for cover)

Something about the message, about the fact that he’d called her cute when she was angry. It… it.... 

She bit her lip, feeling her face tingle ever so slightly. 

Anyways, um…. Since I ruined your…. (Date?) Why don't I make it up to you. Maybe… some time in the park? Finnick would probably love to see you again.

She blinked at the message. The park? With Finnick? She stood frozen for a moment, her mind weighing her options. After a second she began typing her response. 

Ok. I have some time before my train anyways.

She sent the message waiting for Nick to rep-

“great. Then let's get going.”

She looked up in surprise, finding that somehow without her noticing he'd appeared a small ways in front of her. She stood frozen for a moment. “what… when… how?”

Nick chuckled and grinned. “easy carrots. Full thoughts and complete sentence are good.”

She felt her face burn, this time with embarrassment. “sh-shut up.”

He chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows a bit. “Ooo, carefully carrots. Keep being angry and I might just have to call you that word again.”

She blinked again, the odd tingle returning to her face in response to his words.  _ Does he really think I'm cute when I'm mad? _ After a few moments she managed a sentence. “so… where's Finnick?”

Nick shrugged and motioned for her to follow him. “at home. He was watching afternoon cartoons when I left. But he'll be ecstatic to go to the park.”

Judy nodded, following Nick as he wound his way through the crowded sidewalk. As they moved she couldn't help but notice his usual gracefulness had returned. Maybe he was feeling better today?

“So… um… you're looking… better.”  _ smooth Judy. why don't you just admit you were worried about him? _

He nodded. “feeling better. Took a super long bath last night and slept in late this morning. That helped, A LOT.”

She smiled a bit. “Good. im… im glad you’re feeling better.”

They chatted lightly as they walked, slowly making their way to the edge of the district before walking up the large stone stepped that led through the dividing walls of the city. As they walked through the connecting tunnel Judy’s eyes couldn't help but fall on the bag from the dispensary still tucked under Nick’s arm. She bit her lip. Part of her wanted to ask about it. Why was he buying pot? Was he using it for recreation or… was it…

Her mind again flashed back to the bottles of pills she’d seen in his cabinet. 

“So, who was that bunny with you anyways? The one you slapped like a total queen.”

She shook her head. “His names Jack. He’s… an old.... Friend from when I was younger.”

Nick looked at her sideways. “Sensing more to it than that carrots. Come on, spill it.”

She sighed. This was personal, and private and perhaps a bit inappropriate to talk about since it had JUST happened minutes ago. And yet...she could hear the sincerity in Nick’s voice. The genuine want to know what had happened. 

“Just… he’s been… I think he likes me as more than a friend. And… he keeps asking me to ‘hang out’ but it always sounds like a date. and… I just…. Ugggggg… I don't see him like that. We met back when I was like five. We literally grew up together. He’s just… he’s more like a brother to me than anything else.”

Nick grinned. “A brother you totally smacked down like a boss.” as he spoke Nick mimicked her movement, only with a dramatic flourish; making a smacking sound with his tongue and cheek a second later. Despite what had happened Judy found herself smiling at his antics. 

“You just watch yourself Wilde, I might do the same thing to you if you call me cute again.”

Nick grinned. “Oh no carrots. If you’re going to smack me in public I demand it be like how they do it on those spanish soap operas. A full blown slap that spins me around and drops me to the floor, while you insult my honor and then storm off to a swooping orchestral number.” 

This time they both laughed. 

  
  


\-------

 

Just as Nick had predicted Finnick was ecstatic about going to the park. The small fox had squealed impossibly loud and run off to put on his shoes in the span of about five seconds. She’d watched as he’d run off, vaguely reminded of her younger siblings when they got to do something they were excited about. “he's sweet.”

Nick nodded. “yeah he is. Trying to help him keep that for as long as possible.”

She watched as he put the bag he'd been carrying in the fridge. As he opened the door Judy found that her suspicions from the night before had been correct. The fridge was filled with takeout bags and boxes with the only ‘fresh’ foods appearing to be the half empty gallon of milk on the top shelf. As the door clicked shut Nick spoke. “so, while we have a few moments to ourselves; do you wanna ask that question or would you rather we awkwardly dance around and ignore it all day?”

She looked at him uncertainty. He gave her a knowing look. After a moment he spoke. “Am I gonna share the weed?”  

Her face instantly felt like it was on fire, her eyes widened and she almost frantically shook her head. “n-n-no! I wasn't… I've never even… I wouldn't….”

He was laughing at her now. Her eyes narrowed at him a second later. “har har. Jerk.”

Nick smiled as he stopped laughing. “oh come on carrots. That was funny. You looked like a deer in the headlights.” Nick widened his eyes and changed his voice a bit. “oh goodness golly goshes Nick. I Ms Judy Jopps have never done anything so rebellious as smoking weed before.” as he spoke he fluttered his eyes innocently.

She raised an eyebrow at his impression. "Is that supposed to be me? And no. I've never done weed before. My parents would KILL me.”

Nick smiled and shrugged. “well. If you ever feel like being a rebel,” as he spoke he made the sign for devil horns with his hands. “let me know. But seriously, you probably want to know why am I buying weed. Right?”

She bit her lip. Yes, she would like an explanation. Especially after the outburst she'd aimed at jack. "I… um…”

But Nick shrugged. "Its cool carrots. I don't mind telling you. Helps me relax. Some of it is for shits and giggles, for when I wanna be ‘perky’,” as he spoke he put on an exaggerated grin. “for a few hours. But mostly it helps with anxiety and nerves. Believe it or not. I used to get REALLY bad panic attacks. Started about… two or three years ago? Anyways, doctor gave me a small prescription to use. And… it worked miracles. I used to have almost an attack a day. And with that prescription I went almost a month without one. So I still use it sometimes. But I'm not a junky. I don't NEED it. But it does help.”

She bit her lip. Why was he telling her this? Why was he admitting something so personal and private to her? He could have told her to mind her own business. So why then…

“Do you still get the attacks?”

Nick shrugged. “sometimes. I've come to terms with most of what caused them. So they don't happen much anymore. But they still occasionally flare up, so I like to keep a small supply handy. Just in case. And, like I said; helps me be perky for a few hours.”

She frowned at that, her eyes flickering in the direction Finnick had run off in. Was he-

“No carrots. I don't get stoned while im with Finnick.”

Her eyes widened a bit. “no…. I ….I didn't… I... wa-wasn't...”

He shrugged. “yeah you were, its ok. Look, twice a week Finnick has soccer after school. So IF I want to have a little time to myself. I'll do it then. But I don't blaze up a doobie in front of him. That would make me-”

“READY DADDY!”

A second later Nick yelped and staggered as Finnick ran at him full force, leaping into the air and, grabbing onto Nick's shoulder. She giggled as Nick stumbled, managing to correct himself a moment later and keep from falling over. Nick looked Finnick who was clinging to him excitedly. “oh? You think you're ready to go to the park?”

Finnick nodded. “YEAH!”

Nick grinned at the smaller fox. “then let us, AWAY!”

As he spoke Nick caught her eye before taking off in a comical fashion, making whooshing sounds as he ran. She followed them, closing the door to the home before jogging to catch up with them. She watched them as they walked along the path. It was odd, Nick seemed to have many problems. Yet when he was around Finnick that all seemed to vanish. In the back of her mind she wondered, Was it all an act? Was he just putting on a brave face for Finnick so the smaller fox wouldn't Worry? That thought bothered her for some reason. If it was all an act… how long had he been doing it? Did he have ANYONE he could talk to? Did anyone else even know what was going on? She hadn't seen him talking to anyone at school. And so far, he hadn't mentioned any other friends or family. Was… was it just him and Finnick on their own? Was she the ONLY person who had even the slightest idea of what was going on in Nick's life? Her stomach clenched painfully at that thought, as did her heart for some reason.

The park was enjoyable enough. She only had a half hour left before she had to go. But seeing Finnick play on the playground was amusing and entertaining. She watched as he ran straight to the swings hopping on and calling for Nick to come and push himit; which Nick did. It really was sweet. She sat down on a bench, watching as Nick pushed Finnick on the swing, the small fox laughing as he slowly swung higher and higher. She'd really misjudged him. After that first day she'd assumed he was some jackass fox who was just a jerk. But now she was starting to wonder. Did he act like a jerk on purpose, as a way to keep people away? Why? And if so, how long had he done it for?  why did he need to hide? Why did he need to keep people away?

_ Nick… what is going on? _

 

\------

 

That night she was rather subdued at dinner. While her other siblings ate happily, chatting about their day; she sat quietly, pushing her food around her plate. In truth she wasn't very hungry. Her mind kept wandering back to Nick. If her what she was thinking was true… 

“honey… are you ok?”

She looked up, the sound of her mother's voice pulling her from her thoughts. "I… yeah. I just… I'm not hungry. Excuse me.”

She stepped away from the table, taking her plate into the kitchen before-

“hun…” Her mother had followed her and was looking at her from the doorway. “talk to me. What's wrong?”

She sighed softly. How could she put into words what she was feeling? “there's… this boy at school. And I… I'm worried about him. He doesn't have many friends. He spends all of his time taking care of his family and… and I think… he might have some real problems that he's not talking about. But… I don't know how to ask him about it without being nosy.”  _ oh and I slapped one of my oldest friends today and told him to leave me alone. _

From where she stood Judy watched as her mother sighed too. “there is no way Judy. You can't ask someone a question about something they haven't shared and not be nosy.”

She bit her lip. “but… I don't want him… to be alone.”

Her mother smiled softly, moving into the room and giving her a soft hug. “then be there for him. Let him know that he can trust and confide in you. That way the choice is his to make.” she remained silent, thinking about what her mother had said. Even if she was Nick's friend… would he really confide in her or ever trust her to that degree? “you're a very sweet doe Judy. I'm sure this young man is very appreciative of any support you lend him.”

She nodded. "I just… I worry about him… it doesn't seem like he has anyone to turn to for help. And I… I… “

Her mother squeezed her gently again. “you care about him.”

She nodded again. “y-yeah.”

Her mother let go of her, smiling warmly. “then be there for him. Let him know that you care. If he knows and needs help, he'll reach out. And if not, then you know you did everything you could.”

She bit her lip but nodded. "I… ok.”

She could do that. She could be there for him as a friend. She could help him in any number of small ways. And if… if Nick ever needed bigger help… she could do that too.


	4. Dreams And A Chance Meeting

With a heave of effort Judy dropped the bag full of groceries onto the counter. Behind her Nick moved, lifting the two bags he was carrying before setting them on the counter as well. “that's the last of it. Thanks for the help Judy.”

She turned to look at him, smiling warmly. “of course. Glad to help.”

She watched as he moved around the counter before pulling open the fridge. “want something to drink?”

She nodded. “yes please.”

A moment later he produce two cold water bottles, one of which he handed to her. As she took a drink from the cool bottle Nick spoke again. "I mean in Judy. You've been a really big help these last few months. I… I really appreciate it.”

She smiled at him, shaking her head. “don't worry about it Nick.”

She watched as an odd expression came over his face. A kind of awkwardly nervously smile she'd never seen him with before. "I… um…. close your eyes. I wanna give you something… as a thank you. No peeking.”

She rolled her eyes but did as he asked. “Nick, you didn't have to do that.”

She heard him shift a little, a soft chuckle coming from him. “yeah, I know. But… it's true. You've been an amazing friend to me… and I… I just… wanted… to give you…. This…”

There was a moment of silence, where all she Judy could hear was the sound of her heartbeat and Nick's soft gentle breaths. then-

The kiss was tender and gentle, yet somehow still enough to take her breath away. She groaned into the contact, pushing back against his lips even as he softly pushed her back so she was against the counter. She was dimly aware she was no longer holding the cold water bottle, her hands now running up his shirt and neck. She shuddered decadently as she felt his tongue flicker over her lips, a silent request that she answered a moment later. The kiss deepened, her spine tingling as she felt his tongue slip into her mouth. She could feel his hands on her now. They felt oddly hot as they come to rest on her hips, his thumbs drifting up to gently draw circles against her fur.

“n-n-Nick…”

She didn't even consciously mean to say it. His name just slipped out as they both broke the kiss. Both of them panting softly but not pulling away from the other. She gasped softly as he leaned in, nuzzling her neck lovingly. “Judy…” Gods his voice sounded like a chorus of angels. She groaned, her legs wobbling slightly as his nose dipped lower, running along her collar bone. “Judy… it's time…” she bit her lip. She could certainly feel the want bubbling inside of her. The want that demanded more contact, that wouldn't be satisfied or sated by these tender loving kisses and nuzzles. But instead demanded more aggressive and dominant action. She groaned again, this time wantonly as she felt his hands move, drifting upwards and under her shirt; running along her stomach.

“n-n-Nick… I… want…”

"I know Judy. I want you too.”

His words sent a shudder through her. A deep desirous shudder that made her tail twitch and her spine tingle. Was this really-

“Judy HOPPS. GET UP. WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR THE FARMER'S MARKET. I WON'T TELL YOU AGAIN!”

her eyes flew open as she sat bolt upright in bed. She wasn't at Nick's house. She was in her bedroom. Nick hadn't kisses her or said he wanted her. She was alone, half cocooned and mummified in her blanket. It was a dream. It had all been a dream. A dream spoiled by her father pounding on and calling at her through her door. She groaned as she slowly sat up, untangling herself from her blankets. Shakily she put her head in her hands. The dreams were getting worse now, more insistent. This had been the third one this week. She forced herself out of bed and across her room, pulling open her closet and grabbing the first thing she saw. Pulling the blue and white sundress over her head Judy sighed  the recently familiar feeling of guilt welling up in her stomach. 

It had started a month ago. At first they had been simple dreams. He and she would be holding hands. Or he'd give her a peck on the cheek. Then the dreams had changed, becoming more intimate. He'd kiss her on the lips. Or they'd be cuddling together on a couch. But recently…

She bit her lip, doing her best not to think about how good it had felt to have his hands touch her fur. Or how good his lips had felt against her. “stop it Judy.” she mumbled the words to herself. “you're his friend. Do you wanna ruin all those months of being friends? You haven't known him long enough to feel those things for him.”

She willed that last part to be true. Six months, it had been six months since the start of the school year. Six months since she'd men Nick wilde. Six months. So how could she be having such dreams about him? How could she be thinking about him in any way other than as a friend, when she'd only known him for SIX MONTHS. She'd know jack for literally YEARS and felt nothing for him. So how could she now have fe-

“no. No you don't. You don't feel anything for Nick. He's your friend. JUST your friend.”  _ a friend that you wish could maybe be more _ . “ugggh”

She rested her head against the mirror hanging from her closet door. How had this happened? She'd taken her mother's advice. She'd done everything she could to make Nick know she was there for him. She'd invited him to sit with her and her friends at lunch. Something that had gotten, and still got; raised eyebrows and muted whispers. She'd invited him to study sessions when exams and tests were nearing. She'd brought him the occasional bag of fresh foods from her family’s farms. Always with some blueberries for Finnick. She'd even babysat Finnick once or twice, when Nick had an errand he needed to run but couldn't take, the smaller fox. And she had seen a change in him. He was smiling more. At first when he'd joined her and her friends for lunch he'd been withdrawn, cautious. It had almost taken a crowbar to pry a few words out of him. But now… he seemed happier. He was still quieter than the rest of them, but he'd laugh at jokes. Or tell them about his weekend, although not once had she ever heard him mentioned Finnick to anyone else. He seemed happier, less sullen, less stressed and isolated as he had when he'd first arrived at zootopia high. But now…

She shook her head. No, she didn't want to ruin what she had with him. She was his friend. He was her friend. If she tried for more and he didn't feel the same way; her mind flashed back to the last time she’d spoken To jack. When she'd slapped him and told him to leave her alone. Would something like that happen? Would he tell her the same thing? That thought was like a bucket of cold water over her head.

“Judy… don't make me call you again.”

she scrambled to finish getting ready, grabbing a sunhat before hurrying from her room. It was the weekend, which meant she and her family would spend most of the day at the farmer's market, selling their produce. That would be their weekend ritual until winter. Climbing into the truck, Judy ignored Jill's comment of “look who's finally awake.”

Settling herself in the bed of the old pickup Judy groaned as she laid back in the corner. The morning sun was bright as it slowly rose into the sky. From inside the truck she could hear her siblings whining about having to be up this early. That was why she sat in the bed of the truck. So she wouldn't be forced to be a part of the complaining. Back here in the bed it was just her, several crates of produce and  Tomas who smiled at her as they bumped and jostled down the road into the city. As they came to a stop at a light Tomas spoke. “So… who's Nick?”

She froze, her eyes widening at his question. “w-w-what?”

Tomas shrugged. “Heard you say his name a few times when I pass by your room at night. So… who is he?”

She bit her lip. How much should she tell tomas? How would he react? “he's… a friend from school.”

Tomas nodded. “just a friend?” Again she bit her lip, squirming slightly. When she didn't respond Tomas sighed. “look Judy… if you don't want to tell me, then i won't pry. But as your older brother, please know this. If you need help. EVER, you can ask me. No judging. No questions. Ok?”

She smiled at him. “thank you.”

Tomas nodded. "It's what big bros are for.”

She smiled again just as the truck came to a stop. All around them people moved about, wandering through the maze of stalls, booths and kiosks that had been set up. Hopping out of the truck Judy pushed her thoughts of Nick and her recent dream to the back of her mind. Right now she needed to focus, helping her family sell their produce was top priority right now. She worked quickly with her brothers and sisters, rapidly assembling the stand their father had built a few years ago. Once the stand was set up they began setting up the produce to sell. Soon enough a small crowd of eager buyers had gathered around the stall. It was good for her. For the next few hours everything else fell away, falling to the very Furthest reaches in the back of her mind. Slowly the day ticked by. After the initial rush of buyers their sales slowed. Not so much that they werent selling anything, rather they were only selling to two three people every half hour instead of 15.

When she'd been younger she'd made a game out of selling the produce her family made. She'd try to use her cuteness as a little bunny to attract sellers and then let her (at the time) older siblings make the sale. Now though, those tactics didn't work. The hours slowly marched on, drifting into the afternoon. Just As noon came and went, like they always did Judy's younger siblings began to complain. They were bored, they were tired, they were hungry and when were they gonna go home? She smiled at them, remembering when she'd done the same thing as a kid. And just like back then her father came up with the same solution, allowing some of the small kids, under the supervision of an older sibling; to wander the market for a half hour each. 

Which is has she now found herself alone, his siblings out wandering the market while her father had gone back to their farm to get a few more crates of produce they were running low on. Leaning against the counter of the stall Judy sighed. Sometimes it really sucked being a farmer. She was sure her friends were out doing something fun, but here she was, stuck here. She sighed softly, watching as people walked by their stall. Occasionally someone would stop to buy something but for the most part she was just crowd watching. When her father came back she'd insist on taking a break, she was getting hungry. And this little shop up the street made the best carro, lettuce and cheese sandwiches. Maybe she'd wander the market after that. There was usually some kind of art work further up. Maybe she-

“joody! Hi joody! Joody!”

She blinked in surprise, the sound of the young high pitched voice shaking her from her bored crowd gazing. A second later she felt something collide with her leg, wrapping around it and squeezing tightly. Her head snapped down, finding a familiar sand colored fox kit clinging to her leg. “f-Finnick?”

Finnick looked up at her, grinning from ear to ear. “hi!”

She smiled, amused at the small fox's joy at having found her. She looked up, scanning the crowd and quickly finding Nick as the red fox staggered through the dense crowd of people. “FINNICK. Don't do that. You can't just run off like that.”

Finnick tugged on Judy's dress. “but is joody daddy.”

Nick sighed, finally managing to squirm his way through the crowd of passing people and up to the stall. As she went to say hello Nick held up a finger, before leaning over the counter to look down at Finnick. “still, no running off like that. What if you got lost and I couldn't find you? Daddy would be very sad if he lost his bestest little Finnick.”

She watched as Finnick's eyes went wide before running back to Nick and hugging his, leg too. "I sorry daddy. Don't be sad. I sorry.”

Nick smiled, bending down to scoop Finnick up into his arms. "I won't. But no running off like that again. Ok?”

Finnick nodded. “ok.”

Nick smiled, turning to look at Judy who smiled back. “hey carrots… cute dress. Looks good on you.”

She bit her lip, her stomach doing a kind of nervous flip at the comment. "I… uh…. Thanks. Wh-what are you both doing here?”

Nick shrugged. “wanted to get out of the house for a bit. Figured we could come, maybe get some of those little fried donut things and see the market.”

At the mention of fried donuts Judy grinned, her nerves lessening. “gods those things are so good. I'd kill for some right now.”

Nick grinned back, making her stomach do another flip. "I knoooow. And with that little chocolate dipping sauce...sooooooo good. Anyways, what are you doing? Are you here all by yourself?”

Judy shook her head. “my family is here too. My siblings were getting restless, so they are wandering around and dad went back to the house to get more produce.”

Nick smiled. “maybe I'll come back later, I can meet the family.”

Again Judy felt her stomach flip, this time though it had nothing to do with Nick being there. “oh… I… uh… I guess…”

Her voice trailed off as he chuckled. “relax carrots. I was kidding. I know your family would probably freak if they knew about me.”

She bit her lip. "I… that's… not…” how would her family react to? So far she hadn't told anyone about him. She'd mentioned his name once or twice, but never his species. Back when Gideon grey had been around her parents and family had been very against predators. But that had been over a decade ago. Surely they wouldn't still feel the same way… right? On the other hand, did it really matter. Nick was HER friend. “you could stay… if you wanted.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “really?”

She nodded. “yeah. I'd like that.”

Nick glanced at Finnick. “how about it little monster. Wanna go get donuts and then come back and then say hello to Judy's family?”

Finnick nodded excitedly. “yeah!”

Nick smiled. “ok. Well be back shortly.”

She smiled back at them. “ok, see you in a bit.”

She nodded, nervously fidgeting as she watched Nick and Finnick move away from her and back into the crowd.  _ What are you doing?! _ She could feel her heart hammering in her chest. What WAS she doing? There was a very real possibility her family would not approve of Nick.  _ Because he's a fox _ .  Judy scowled at the thought. so what if Nick was a fox. Gideon had been years ago, no fox had terrorized or bothered her family since him. Not to mention they sold produce to foxes.  _ Calm down, you don't know that they wont approve. _ She groaned and ran her hands through her ears. Why did she even WANT then approval? It wasn't like Nick was more than a friend. They weren't date.  _ Yet _ .

“uggggggg.”

How had life become to complicated? This time last year the most complex thing she had to deal with was chemistry class. But now…

She groaned again.  _ He's your friend. FRIEND. Not a boyfriend. JUST A FRIEND! _

“Jude?” She shook her head, turning to watch as her father brought the truck to a stop behind the stand. “everything ok?”

She bit her lip, how was she even supposed to answer that question?  _ Oh nothing dad. I've just been having this recurring romantic dreams about this fox from school who may or may not have a son and might be very unwell. Oh and I want you to like him. _ “yeah. Everything is ok dad. Just tired.”

She moved, helping him to unload the crates of food her dad had returned with. “so… one of my friends from school is here. He stopped by a little bit ago.”

Her dad smiled. “cool.”

She bit her lip and nodded before continuing. “he said he would swing by later, to meet everyone.”

Her dad nodded and smiled, clearly only half paying attention to her words as he refilled their stand. “ok. Thata great jude can't wait to meet… him?”

She nodded, shifting nervously. “he's… a fox.”

Her dad looked up at her. “a fox?” She nodded, shifting her weight nervously from one leg to the other. After a moment her dad looked away. “ok.”

She blinked, feeling as if someone had smacked her with a pool noodle. “o-o-ok? Y-you're not...”

Her dad looked back up at her, a faint look of confusion covering his face. “what, you don't think i'd be ok with my daughter being friends with a fox?”

She blinked at him. He was being so casual. Like it didn't matter. "I… well… I guess… I thought you'd be against it. You didn't like gideon or his family. So… I…”

She watched as her dad stood up, moving over to her before putting his hand on her shoulder. “that wasn't because gideon was A fox. That was because he was harassing my family. He could have been a field mouse and I still would have felt the same way about him.” She bit her lip, trying to keep the smile she was feeling from spreading across her face. In front of her, her father smiled. “so long as he's nice and treats my jude well, I'll be friendly. BUT,” he spoke a little firmer. "If he's a jerk, or he makes you cry. I'll kick his ass and make him eat his tail.”

That made her laugh. A moment later she found herself into a hug. “thanks dad.”

Her father gave her a soft squeeze. “of course hun.”

Just as Nick had promised, about 10 minutes later he returned, Finnick sitting on his shoulders with a large white paper bag in his hands. As Nick and Finnick got closer Judy could hear Finnick winning. “but daaaaaddy…”

Nick shook his head. “uh uh dude. We got this many to share. So you'll have to wait.”

As he neared the stand Nick caught her eye and held up the bag of fried donuts. “got enough for all three of us.”

There was no stopping the smile that spread across her face. “aww, you shouldn't have.” she didn't mean it of course, the fried dough smelled amazing. As he opened the bag for her to take on a billowing plume of steam wafted upwards, dispensing that warm rich smell into the entire stand. She popped the little ball of fried dough in her mouth, Groaning in pleasure as its warm buttery sugary flavors melted on her tongue. “Mmmmmmmm.”

Nick grinned and pulled out a donut, handing it to Finnick who ate it happily as Nick had his own. “gods I wish I could have these everyday.” 

Judy smiled, shifting a bit as she felt her dad come up next to her. “Nick, this is my dad Stu.”

Nick blinked, swallowing his donut before speaking. “hello sir.”

Judy's father chuckled. “please, I'm no ‘sir’. Just call me Stu. One of those for me?” Nick smiled, offering the bag which Stu dug into. Maybe it was her imagination, but did Nick look a little nervous? After a moment her father spoke. “and who is that little man?” as he spoke stu gestured to Finnick who had just finished his donut.

There was no mistaking it now, Nick's smile was nervous. Still he rolled his shoulders, making Finnick look up. "Introduce yourself dude.”

Finnick grinned. "Im Finnick.”

Judy watched as her father smiled. “well hello Finnick.”

Finnick smiled for a moment before patting Nick's head. “another please!”

Nick smiled, pulling another donut from the bag before handing it up to Finnick. As the smaller fox ate happily Judy’s father spoke. “jude, I can watch the stand for a bit if you and your friend wanted to see the market.”

She looked at him. Part of her really wanted to wander the market. But…

“are you sure?”

Her father smiled and nodded. “yeah. Go. I'll call the others back and they an help. just be back before we leave.”

Judy nodded, turning to Nick who grinned at her. After a moment he shifted, offering her his arm in a fancy pose. “shall we malady?”

She giggled, praying that she sounded more amused than nervous as her stomach did another flip. “y-yeah.”

She took his arm playfully, allowing him to pull her from the stand and into the cr-

The world seemed to freeze, the sound of the crowds and market disappearing as his hand shifted, moving down her arm before slipping into her hand. Gods it felt like her heart was going to explode. In front of her, she heard him speak. “stay close. There's a lot of people.”

She nodded, her voice seeming to catch in her throat. It was a simple grip, not even meant to be romantic and yet…

She let him pull her through the crowd in a daze. She barely noticed the other stalls and sellers or the people staring at them. As she could focus on was his hand, the feeling of his soft fur against hers  the warmth his skin was giving off. It was perfect, simply perfect. A perfection that ended all to soon. She bit her lip, fighting back a small whine of loss as she felt his hand leave hers as they emerged into a more wide open space where the crowd was less dense. She followed him and Finnick, wandering around the square, looking at the various booths and the wares they were selling.

“see anything you like carrots?”

She looked over at him, noting how he was leaning over an assortment of handmade jewelry. She moved to join him, her eyes scanning the assortment of stones and metal trinkets. There were certainly some pieces that were attractive. A set of silver and amethyst earrings in particular. Her interest in them diminished when she saw the price, $35. She shook her head. “not really a jewelry girl. Sorry.”

Nick shrugged. "Its cool. So. Your dad seems… nice.”

She smiled. “yeah. He… he is.”

Nick shifted a little. “didn't know how he'd react to me. Wondered if maybe I shouldn't come back.”

She looked at him sideways. "I'm glad you did.”

Nick smiled sideways at her, a smile that made her face tingle and made her look quickly away. "I'm glad I did too.”

She felt her face heat up even more, so much so that even her ears were starting to burn.  _ Relax Judy. He's just being nice. He doesn't mean it like that. Calm down. _

"I was actually going to text you later today.” she looked back at him.

“you were?” he'd texted her a few times sure, but only when they were supposed to meet up for a study group or when he wasn't going to make it to lunch. Never out of the blue.

He nodded and shifted, a slightly sheepish smile covering his face. “yeah. I was actually gonna see if you wanted to do something today.”

She blinked at him. “really?”

Again he nodded, still smiling sheepishly. “y-yeah. I… I wanted to kind of do it as a thank you.”

She cocked her head at him. “a thank you? For what?”

He shrugged. “for being nice to me. Gods know you had plenty of reasons to write me off as a total jerk after how i acted that first day.”

She shook her head. “Nick you don't have to thank me for that.”

Nick sighed softly. “yeah, i kinda do Judy. You've been nice to me. It… it means a lot. Most people aren't, so… thank you.”

She looked at him. She could hear the sincerity in his voice and could see it in the way he was looking at her. "I… you're welcome.” There was something happening between  them. Some kind of energy. It made her skin tingle and her heart quicken a beat. He was still looking at her, that little smile still covering his face. She was smiling back at him, her heart thumping furiously in her chest. Above them Finnick seemed to have picked up on it too, the small desert fox looking between them curiously. She squirmed a little, unsure of what to say or do. "I…. Um…”

It happened a moment later, behind Nick a large grey skinned hippo had been examining an assortment of necklaces. As the hippo moved and turned away she bumped into Nick making him stagger from the force of the impact from the larger animal. He stumbled forward,  his feet catching and tripping on a power cable running along the ground, his arming coming out and grabbing wildly for something to stop his fall. She was stuck, unable to back up enough to avoid him as he fell. A moment later they crashed into each other, knocking them both down in a pile of limbs, bodies and fur between the booths.

“gah!”

_ “ _ uggg. _ ” _

_ “ _ yay! Again! Again!”

Weakly Judy groaned as she tried to move, the fall to the ground had made stars appear in front of her eyes. 

“ugggg. J-j-Judy… you o-ok?”

She blinked, a dull pain in the back of her head telling her she'd hit it when they'd landed. But Her vision was slowly clearing now.

“y-y-yeah. I think s….”

Her voice trailed off as his vision finished clearing. He'd landed on top of her, managing to avoid driving his knees or elbows into her stomach by moving so instead they struck the hard pavement. The look of pain across his face was obvious, as was the fact that his face was only a few inches from hers. Her heart felt like it had stopped. She could feel his warm breath wafting across her face. Her breath seemed to catch in her chest as chest as his eyes, which had been closed in pain; opened and-

_ My gods he has beautiful eyes.  _

He blinked down at her and she looked up at him. The energy was back, an odd sizzling burning energy that made her fur prickle and her nose twitch as his scent filled her lungs. Above her he seemed to be frozen, his eyes wide his ears flicked back in an awkward expression. “h-hey c-carrots.”

She bit her lip. They'd never been this close before. Somewhere above them she could hear Finnick speaking. “daddy?”

She watched as his eyes flicked a little, his lip creasing as he chewed on it. The feeling between them was almost electric and suddenly her body moved on it's own. Her hands came up gently pressing and running along his chest. Above him she heard him gasp softly. “c-carrots…”

It was like she was watching herself. She felt herself smile up at him. “you smell good.”

His ears flicked forward in surprise. "I…. um… you…” she watched him take a deep breath, a small shudder rolling through him.. “you... do too.”

She smiled up at him. "I like you Nick.”

She heard his breath inhale sharply and something in his expression changed. A kind of soft loving warmth filling those beautiful green eyes. Nervously he spoke. “j-Judy… i… um… i… like… y-”

The kiss was soft and warm. For a moment she felt him tense up, probably out of shock over the sudden move. But then slowly she felt him relax, returning the kiss softly. Pressing back against her lips making her spirits soar. After a few moments they broke apart, a soft pant escaping Nick’s lips. She looked up at him, a grin threatening to spread across her entire face. Above her Nick had a rather foxishly sly smile across his fa-

“ **WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER?!”**

The sound of the shout broke the moment, Nick's head snapped up in the direction of the- 

“AHHHR!”

A moment later he vanished from above her, reeling backwards as a grey and white foot connected with the side of his head. she felt hands on her shoulders, grabbing her, pulling her to her feet as little bodies moved between her and Nick. Bodies she realized with a jolt belonged to her siblings.

In front if her Jill was shouting at Nick who was holding his head. “rapist fox! You tried to attack my sister!”

The kick she’d hit Nick with had connected with the side of his face and blood now freely dripping in a steady stream from Nick's nose and a small trickle from his mouth. A moment later Judy's mind snapped back to reality as she realized what had happened. “J-Jill! What-”

Her sister looked over her shoulder at them. “get her out of here!”

A moment later her siblings were pulling on her, trying to move her. She resisted, trying to break free from their grip. “Jill stop! It's not-”

“DADDY!” The sound of Finnick's scarred voice made heart freeze. She watched as the small tan fox rushed to Nick's side, clearly worried about him as blood dripped between his fingers. Some of it landing on Finnick's tan fur where the crimson stood out in stark contrast to the normally sandy fur. A second later Finnick spun to look at Jill. “YOU HURT DADDY! YOU HURT DA-”

But Finnick's voice cut off as Nick moved, slowly staggering to his feet before bending down to scoop up the small fox before holding him against his chest. His hand was still covering his nose, as blood dripped through his fingers and onto the pavement.

She needed to say something. To explain. To make everything stop. She needed her family to know she was ok. That Nick wasn't a rapist or some dangerous fox, but a friend and… possibly more. That he was kind and good and that he was her friend “Nic-”

The look he gave her was enough to chill her veins. The warmth and tenderness that had been in his eyes only moments ago was gone now replaced with a kind of cold almost numb expression of pain and sadness. After a moment Nick spoke, his voice filled with pained and altered from the injury. “dif waf a miftake. Sooory. Ull lev uoo alung frum now onn.”

 

A moment he vanished, stepping back into the crowd and disappearing from sight. She kept struggling against her sibling’s grip even as they pulled her in the other direction. “Nick! Come back! Nick!” 


	5. Rainy Nights

Nick Wilde groaned weakly as he sank down against his couch. His nose was still dribbling blood from the kick Judy's sister had landed on him. That had made getting home tricky. People had stared at him as he’d carried Finnick in one arm and held his bloodied nose in his free hand. Each stop of the train had made him jostle a bit. Sending lances of pain through his face and joins. Even now his knees and hands ached from the fall. And he had no doubt there was already some nasty bruises forming from the injuries. His wasn't broken, he knew that much. If it had been, he'd have been in much worse shape. But it sure felt like it might as well have been. It had taken him over an hour to get Finnick to calm down after they'd gotten back home. The desert fox had been almost hysterical no doubt the smell of his father’s blood had only added fuel to that. In the end he'd managed to put Finnick down for a nap, the small fox's body not used to the amount of stress put on it so suddenly. That had been a godsend. He knew Finnick was scared and just wanted to help, no doubt shaken about what had happen. but dealing with his bloodied nose, a face that was throbbing AND a scared child; that had been...trying, even for him. 

He groaned, leaning his head against the back of the couch. He brought his hand to his nose. The clotting powder his doctor had given him had helped slow the flow of blood. Although now everything had a vaguely dusty smell to it. in the back of his mind he remembered what his doctor had said the last time he'd seen him. “come in if you ever bleed for longer than an hour.”

If he kept bleeding for to much longer, he'd need to go in to get examined. That would take time and no doubt the doctors would want him to stay for observation. He had a few hours before he had to do anything, true. But Finnick had a sleepover with his first friend from school, and Nick sure as hell wasn't going to let Finnick miss that. Not when it had been so hard for the fox to make friends. Even if his head was still ringing from that kick and his nose kept bleeding, he'd make sure Finnick got to go over to his friends house. Then he'd come back here and have the house to himself till tomorrow afternoon. He'd relax, watch some mindless tv and get so fucking high that he couldn't remember his own name… or hers… or how he felt about her, or how good it had felt to kiss her. At least for a few hours.

He allowed his eyes to drift closed as he sat there. He'd known it had been a bad idea; not just staying to meet Judy's family. going to the farmer's market at all. In the back of his mind he'd known she'd be there. That's why he'd suggested they go, so he could see her. He'd wanted to find her. To see her today. To maybe… spend time with her, just him and her.

He bit his lip as he remembered her in the dress. Framed by the vegetables for sale from her family's farm. In the bright sunlight, that smile on her face. Gods she taken his breath away, looking likes something out of a fairytale. His heart had skipped several beats. She been beautiful. No, no she WAS beautiful.  No matter what she wore she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Beautiful, smart, spunky, everything he could have ever hoped for in a girl. She was… perfect. 

He shook his head to himself.  _ Forget it fox. She's a rabbit, you're a fox. Nothing can or ever will happen. Today proved that. And you were stupid for thinking otherwise. _

Unwelcome in his mind, the memory appeared. His Judy’s lips against. Of the soft feeling of her breath against his face. It had felt… so good. So much better than he'd ever hoped it would. It wasn't just the kiss though,  it was what the kiss had meant. She'd kissed him. SHE had kissed HIM. And she'd said she liked him. He could still recall how his stomach had flipped when she'd said that. And the kiss… his first kiss… not just with her but with anyone. It had been so soft, so warm, so perfect. The one-

His nose twinged painful making him wince.

_ No. No you dumb fox. You don't get to have that. You don't get to have a happily ever after.  You don't get the girl at the end of the story. You just get to die. That's what people with your story get at the end. _

  
  


\----------------------------

  
  


“A fox? A FOX?! You're friends with a fox?!”

Judy felt anger flash through her at her sister. Angrily she slammed the door to the house. “yes Jill! He's my friend. And you attacked him!”

Jill glared at her. “because he was trying to force himself on you!”

Her skin itched with anger as she stormed up to her sister until they were inches apart. “HE WAS NOT FORCING HIMSELF ON ME!! WE FELL OVER!” never in her life had she felt this angry before. Her body trembled with rage and her heartbeat was pounding in her ears. 

In front of her Jill was matching her anger. “don't you get mad at me! I was just looking out for you! It was probably just a matter of time before he tried something. I sa-”

She grabbed her sister by the front of her shirt, dragging her forward until they were nose to nose. She gnashed her teeth together before bellowing. “FINISH THAT SENTENCE AND I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING TAIL OFF AND JAM IT DOWN YOUR THROAT JILL! Nick WILDE IS THE KINDEST PERSON I'VE EVER MET! HE WOULD NEVER HURT ANYONE! SO FUCK YOU AND YOUR BIGOTRY!”

A second later she shoved her sister away snarling in anger. In the back of her mind she was a tad disappointed when Jill didn't fall over. Again she pulled her cell phone from her pocket, glancing at the screen, hoping he'd responded to her dozen messages. But just as before, the message icon was empty; he hadn't responded.  _ Come on Nick… answer me. _

“you! You're ok with this? With her being friends with a fox?” Jill was speaking to their father,  wildy pointing at Judy as she spoke. 

“yes. I am” THAT shut Jill up, her eyes bugging slightly as her mouth opened and closed in shock. Looking at her father Judy watched as he sighed before speaking. “Jill, I met Mr Wilde. He seems like a good person. He-”

Suddenly Jill's voice returned. “good person?! He has a kid! He's barely an adult and he has a kid! Explain that!”

Judy bit her lip. She didn't have a defense for that. Even after all this time she still didn't know how Finnick and Nick were connected. Nick had said their relationship was complicated and she hadn't wanted to pry. Again her father spoke calmly. “THAT Jill hopps in NONE of your business. Whatever choices he's made in the past are his business. Understand?”

Jill continued to look outraged. “but….but….they… THEY WERE KISSING! A PREDATOR AND A PREY KISSING!”

This time it was Tomas who spoke, leaning against the doorway to the living room. “and what business of that is yours Jill?”

Jill rounded on her brother. “it's not natural! A predator and a prey… doing that. It's not right!”

A second later a new voice cut through the living room. “that's enough Jill.” Instantly everyone fell silent. Judy bit her lip, squirming a little as her mother emerged from the hallway a stern glare aimed at her sister. “you do not get to decide what is and is not right for someone else. If your sister wishes to kiss a boy so be it. And if that boy happens to be a fox, that is HER business. You don't have to kiss him. So keep your mouth shut. Or do I need to remind you what happens to does who mouth off to people?”

At the last comment Judy felt her face burn a bit. They'd all learned that lesson as a child. Luckily for her the sting of her mother hand striking her rump had only been felt a few times before she'd learned that lesson. In front of them Jill stomped her foot angrily. “HOW CAN NONE OF YOU CARE?! HE'S A FOX! HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN WHAT GIDEON GREY PUT US THROUGH?!”

again her father spoke. “not all foxes are gideon Jill. Gideon just happened to be a fox and a jerk.”

Again Jill stamped her foot. “BUT-”

but again their mother spoke, her voice raising to cut her yelling daughter off. “JILL CINTHIA HOPPS, I would suggest you be VERY quiet right now and go to your room.” it wasn't so much a suggestion but a threat of punishment if she refused.

“grrrrrrr. FINE!”

Judy watched as her sister stormed off todays her room. As she vanished from sight their mother turned to look at Judy who squirmed nervously. Her mother may have been understanding but…

“Judy, come with me. I'd like a word.”

Nervously she followed her mother, stepping out of the living room and into the kitchen. As she passed her brother she smiled weakly. “thanks.”

Tomas nodded. “yeah.”

Now in the kitchen she watches as her mother took a seat at the kitchen table before pointing to the chair next to her. She followed the command, sitting down. She remained silent, watching as her mother took a long drawn out breath before speaking a single word. “talk.”

She bit her lip, wondering how far back she should start. The beginning seemed as good a place as any. “it… at the beginning of the school year…”

 

\------------

 

“and… that's everything.” she fell silent, her throat slightly dry from talking for the last hour. Across from her mother took another deep breath. She'd remained silent through the whole explanation, only making sounds when Judy had paused to see if she had any questions. Now Judy watched as her brother let out a soft sigh. 

“oh Judy…” again her mother sighed. “you always did things your way, so the hard way. But this… ok. I'm not mad about it. But… I do think you're right to be concerned. I am too.”

Judy frowned slightly. “you are?”

Her mother nodded. “your friend's behavior concerns me. I worry he might not be… mentally stable right now.”

Judy's eyes widened. “what?”

Her mother sighed, a look of sadness flickering over her face. “the way he acts around people, reflexively pushing people away who try to get emotionally close to him. Or being withdrawn and distant to those who manage to get close; like you. Also, his efforts to keep people from talking to his parents. And the fact that he seems to be sick, perhaps critically so. It… is very concerning to me. It paints an image of someone who doesn't want to have connections to people, and who perhaps doesn't trust others. And those are signs of deep problems.”

Judy blinked at her mom. “wow, how do you know all this?”

She watched as her mom's shoulders slumped a bit. “iIve seen it before. I… I used to have a brother. He was always a little emotionally sensitive but… he always seemed to be ok. Then one day he started to push people away. Withdrawing and avoiding friends and family, people that cared about him. Then a few months later he… tried to kill himself.”

Judy's eyes widened in horror. “Y-you think Nick is…”

But her mom shook her head. “I don't know. He's definitely hiding things. But… I'm not a doctor, I can't say if he suicidal. But… I definitely think you need to go see him, as soon as possible. What happened at the market… from what you've told me that was a break from his normal behavior. That kiss was an opening, where his defenses went down and he allowed himself to be vulnerable to you. And then when he was attacked, rather than fight back or try to defend himself, he retreaded. And from the sounds of it his defenses went back up. He might be in a very fragile state right now.”

Judy bit her lip, remembering the cold numb look in Nick's eyes. “I'll go now.”

Her mother nodded. “I think that would be for the best. He needs someone right now, even if its just to know that someone is there if he wants them.”

She nodded, pushing her chair back and getting to her feet. As she turned to leave her mother spoke. “Judy, be careful.”

She bit her lip, looking over her shoulder at her mom. “I will, thanks mom.” a second later she ran from the room, grabbing a light jacket before sprinting from the house. As if some kind of ominous looming sign, dark clouds were gathering on the horizon. 

 

\----------------

 

He felt like he was floating. The world was like a dream right now.  He could see everything from where he lay yet everything had an odd shimmery wavy kind of feel to it. Like everything was vibrating softly. He groaned slowly stretching out on the couch.  He could hear the rain and wind outside, it howled and pounded against the house, as if it were some kind of monster demanding to be let in. But he was only half seeing his surroundings, the dream like world was shifting obscuring parts of his mind, and instead of him laying on the couch Nick found himself standing back at the market, watching as in front of him dream-nick toppled over onto Judy. It was like he was watching a recording. The dream version of him fell in slow motion, staggering forward before crashing into dream-Judy; toppling over into a pile of limbs and bodies. It was odd, being able to rewatch that scene. He could see dozens of details he hadn't noticed before. 

He could see the way Finnick was grinning with excitement as he staggered forward, no doubt think it was exciting. He could see the way his eyes widened as he lost his balance and physics took over. He could see the look of surprise on Judy's face as he'd pitched forward towards her. The way they'd collided, his chest striking hers, knocking her over. How he'd managed to move his arms and legs at the last second. The way his face had contorted with pain as they came to a stop. And… the way they were staring at each other as they'd come to a stop.  It was all so clear, so painfully crystal clear. As if there was some kinda of big flashing sign above them. With big strobing neon lights that said ‘SHE LIKES YOU’. And suddenly the scene was moving again. Her hands running along his chest. Her soft beautiful voice saying those three little words. Those three words that in that second had made his heart jump into his throat. “I like you.”

They were such simple words, each of them so tint and  non consequential on their own. But when spoke together… they meant an entire library's worth of info to him. For months now he'd struggled to understand his feelings towards the grey rabbit. She was on his mind and in his thoughts constantly. He could hardly go a few minutes without thinking about her.  He'd grown fond of her. She was kind, Smart, caring, spunky and beautiful; lion christ was she beautiful. He couldn't think of any way she could be better. She was perfect, a 10 out of 10 in every possible conceivable way.

The scene morphed again, the dream versions of him and Judy leaning in, their lips connecting softly. His first kiss… it had felt so good, So right. Like their lips had been made for each others. Her lips had been so soft, so gentle, the faintest hint of some kind of flower had mixed with her scent making his heart flutter and stumble. It had felt so good. Like he'd finally been able to let out some breath he'd been holding. He'd long ago given up on finding love, or even finding friends. She'd  changed that. She'd changed him. She'd managed to pull him out of his isolation and make him want to have friends again. Even after he'd been an ass to her the first time they'd met. He'd all but shut himself down to the idea of having friends ever again. They just seemed like another way he'd end up hurting someone in the end. But now-

His train of thought ended abruptly as a sound reached his ears. a sound that pulled him from the dream world and made him blink up at the ceiling. For a moment he didn't move, his mind trying to figure out if he'd really heard the sound. Or perhaps his mind had made him think he heard the sound? Or maybe he had heard the sound but now his mind was trying to make sure he'd really heard the sound and-

But the sound met his ears again, a kind of heavy pounding coming from…

He sat up slowly, the fog from the drugs clearing slightly. The front door,  the sound was coming from… the front door? As he got to his feet he glanced at the window. Outside the sky was a dark grey tinge, the rain coming down was relentless and the wind howled like some kind of demon. Who in their right mind would-

The sound of the pounding returned, somehow urging his legs to move towards it. Slowly he left the living room, stepping into the hallway and slowly moving towards the door before…

He opened the door, in his altered state not even thinking to look out the window and see who it was. For a moment mind went blank as they fell on a shivering, cold and VERY wet-

“CARROTS!”

he practically grabbed her, pulling her inside before half slamming the door behind him. In a split second his heartbeat went from calm to hammering. she was drenched, No that didn't even begin to describe how she looked. She looked at is she’d been drowned. Her fur was doused, so much that steady dribblets of water fell from her as she shivered almost violently. Her clothes looked like they'd been pasted to her body, Clinging to every curve and shape of her beautifully amaz-

He shook his head, trying to focus his thoughts.   _ Not the time. Not the time. Why not? Its true. She's got a great body. Don't act like you haven't noticed. _

He growled, grabbing that part of himself by the throat and shoving it down and away.  _ Focus on her. _ He grabbed her arm. Pulling her behind him and into the bathroom. He grabbed the doors to the vanity, flinging them open before grabbing one, Two, three, four… he glanced at her. wondering if four towels would be enough. The sight of her shivering down at him answered his question, making him produce two more towels before standing up.

He grabbed her, pulling her in close before throwing the first towel over her. He bit his lip, willing himself to focus on getting her dry. Thankfully he could focus on that. He'd done this a million times with Finnick after his bath. And Judy wasn't squirming or trying to get away. Just the opposite in fact. So in a way this was easier than trying to dry Finnick. _ Just focus. Don't think about her. Just focus on getting her dry. Just like with Finnick. First the head. Then the arms. It's just like with Finnick. Don't think about how she's pressing against you. She's just cold. Its natural, instinct. She's cold, you're warm. It doesn't mean anything. DON'T THINK ABOUT IT. _

But it was impossible to ignore. She HAD moved, and was now pressed against him shivering so much that he could hear her teeth chattering loudly. He cold feel her against him. This mass of shivering freezing rabbit that was his only friend. He needed to do something. Drying her with towels wasn't going to work. Her clothes were still soaked and would keep sucking her body heat away. If she didn't get rid of them soon-

_ Really? You're gonna use the fact that she's freezing to death as an excuse to get her naked? Her sister was right about you. _

He growled. shaking his head against the thought. No. No! This wasn't sexual it wasn't even romantic. It was about her. Getting her warm and making sure she didn't freeze to death right here in his bathroom. “c-carrots… your clothes… they're… to wet.”

She seemed to be thinking along the same lines. She nodded slowly still shivering as she managed to speak weakly. “h-h-h-he-help.”

He bit his lip, his throat going dry. Was she… really….

_ Its to help her. _ He kept repeating that in his head, willing himself to remain calm as he moved. He forced himself to breath, to take deep breaths as he knelt down to the hem of her dress; a gush of water squelching between his fingers as he gripped it. His hands were shaking.  _ Judy. this is for Judy.  _ He couldn't help it, his head tilting to look up her. She was looking down at him, still shivering and looking like a half drowned bunny. His eyes connected to herself, those beautiful purple eyes that his breath catch in his chest. “j-Judy…”

Above him he heard her stammer. “i-it's… o-ok.”

He bit his lip again, his hands still shaking. He could hear it in her voice, the trust in him. That she knew he was trying to help. And yet… he still felt so uneasy about this. Like he was violating some rule or crossing some line with her.  _ If you don't, she'll get sick. She came her to see you. DO IT YOU PUSSY. _

He forced himself to move, slowly lifting her dress, peeling it away from her fur. He felt her shiver harder as her wet fur became exposed, pressing in closer to him for warmth. He kept moving slowly lifting her dress higher and higher. He tried to think of nothing. To not look at the body in front of him.  _ Might be your only chance. _ He bit his tongue, focusing on the pain and taste of blood.  _ No. no I won’t look. I won’t… look. _

She squirmed as the dress moved past her hips. She could feel his warm breath on her hips, her stomach. It sent chills down her spine that had NOTHING to do with how cold she was. No boy had ever seen her like this, not freezing and shaking; but this exposed and vulnerable. She felt her face tingle with embarrassment, what would he think of her panties? They weren't anything amazing, just with simple blue and white stripes.  _ Dumb bunny. He's not thinking of your panties. He's trying to help you! Get your mind out of the gu- _

She gasped a little as his fingers brushed against the sides of her chest and bra. No one had EVER touched her there. Not since her mom had shown her how to put it on, at least. Her heart hammered in her chest, her body shaking with a combination of cold and… excitement… nerves… fear? Her mind was a mess. She knew he was trying to be helpful, trying to help get her war. He wasn't just trying to get her undressed. Her clothes were soaked and freezing, like they'd been dipped in a frozen river and then put on her. But that didn't make the situation any less embarrassing or awkward. She bit her lip, her face burning slightly as her chest and bra came into view. Mentally she was thankful she'd just worn something simple. It wasn't like she had a HUGE chest anyways. Most rabbits didn't, so all she needed was a kind of modified sports bra and she was fine. But… still… he was the first boy… to see it.

She pressed against him as he completely removed her dress. In a way she was a bit warmer now. With her dress gone the coldness had changed from a soaking wet cold to just plain cold. And yet at the same time she was still shivering like a leaf. She felt him toss her dress away, a second later a loud ‘fplat’ met her ears as it landed in the tub. She felt him move, his arms drifting past her so he could pull a thick towel over her shoulders. She groaned in response, thankful for the warm fabric now wrapped around her. He was looking at her now, a look of extreme uncertainty across his face. “Judy… I… uh… your…”

She could only imagine what this was like for him. He must have been as embarrassed as she was, maybe… maybe even more so? After a moment she felt him move, his hands gripping the towel as he began to help dry her off. A moan slipped from her lips, unwelcome and certainly uncalled for. But she couldn't help it, the feeling of the warm towel running over her fur was beyond words. And knowing that it was him doing it. That on the other side of the material was his hands…

Again she shivered, a vibration that again had nothing to do with how cold she was.  _ He's being so gentle. _ It was true. His hands seemed to softly glide over her body, pressing and rubbing against the fur as he worked to warm her up. Soon the towel was to wet to use. He let it drop away, another towel coming up to…

For a few moments he vanished from view. the towel blocking her vision as he gently dried her ears and face. Despite everything she groaned softly, her head pressing gently against the touch. It was so soft, so caring. Not like a friend but… a lover’s perhaps? The situation was beyond messed up. She'd been supposed to come and help him. And yet not only was he helping her but in doing so it was probably making him feel impossibly uncomfortable. And yet…

Slowly the towel moved and his face came into view. She could see the worry in his expression, the determination to help. But… there was more to it. His eyes seemed half focused and his lip was creased slightly. A result of him chewing on it perhaps? For a moment she wondered, what was he thinking about? Was he… thinking about her? About what he'd just done? His eyes… those beautiful perfect green eyes seemed to stare into her. Making her squirm and her face tingle. His hands were still cupping her face, the towel hanging over her like a small poncho. She bit her lip softly. “Nick…”

She watched it happen. The flicker of emotions ripple across his face. Fear, uncertainty, worry, caring and… perhaps the tiniest bit of want. She felt him move. Her own body mirroring his as he pulled her against him in a soft warm hug. Her head turned, resting against his shoulder. His scent, His wonderful beautiful musky scent filled her lungs. Somehow it calmed her. Made her shaking calm a little. Above her he spoke softly. “what are you trying to do to me carrots? Give me a heart attack?”

She shook her head against his shoulder softly. “n-no.”

He sighed softly. “then what? Why are you here in the middle of a storm?”

She remained silent, trying to explain it to herself as much as him. “nick… I like you. More than just a friend. I'm so sorry for my sister and what she did. I just… I was worried. I… didn't… I wanted… I need to make sure… you're… ok.”

She heard him inhale sharply at her confession. His arms holding her close against him as he spoke. “Judy… no. I'm not ok. I'm NOT ok. I can't… I can't let you… I can't.”

She clung to him tighter, afraid he might try to pull away from he. “why not? Because your… a fox? Because I'm a rabbit? Nick I don't care! I just… I just wanna be with you!”

Nick sighed softly. “Judy, I don't know how much longer I'm going to be alive for.”


	6. The truth

Judy remained silent, watching as in the kitchen Nick slowly poured hot water from a kettle into two large mugs. Twin plums of steam wafted in the air, and faintly she could smell the coco powder he was now ladling in. “Do you want milk or anything in your coco?”

She nodded. “Y-yes. Th-thank you.” As she spoke she shivered again, pulling the heavy wool blanket he'd given her tighter around her shoulders. After a moment Nick emerged from the kitchen carrying two cups of hot chocolate in each hand. He set one of the cups in front of her while keeping the other for himself.

“Drink. It'll help.”

He didn't need to tell her twice. Her fur had dried relatively fast after she’d… he'd removed her dress. And while she had worked to dry herself a bit more thoroughly he had gone to find her some clothes so she wasn't wearing just her underwear. In the end he'd managed to find a rather large long sleeve nightshirt that was practically its own dress for her, and a pair of elastic sweats that worked as pants. She'd done her best not to notice the faint traces of his scent on the clothes as she’d pulled them on. While she'd done that he'd gone and thrown her dress in the dryer. And now she sat in his living room on his couch, watching as he sat down on the opposite end. She watched as he moved, taking a sip from his drink as if…

“Nick… what did you mean… you don't know how long you're going to be alive?”

From his spot against the couch arm Nick sighed softly. “Just what I said carrots. I don't know how much time I have left. I could have a few days, a few months, years, or…” He looked at her almost as if he was bored. “The next five minutes. And then… CLUNK, dead.” 

She blinked at him. “Nick… you're not making any sense. What's going on? I've tried to not pry, and be respectful but… I want answers now. WHAT IS GOING ON?”

She raised her voice a bit, hoping he would understand she was serious. She watched as he sighed, taking a sip from his cup. For several moments there was silence, the sounds of the storm still raging outside soundly oddly loud yet at the same time far away. Then, “Ok. I'll tell you. Lion christ knows… you have a right to know after everything you've done for me.”

He moved, setting his mug on the table before turning to look directly at her. She watched as he inhaled, a long deep breath before starting to speak. “Let me tell you a story carrots. Its starts 17 years ago, when an addict whore got pregnant and her abusive drug dealing pimp made her get rid of the baby like its just a piece of trash. So… like something out a bad movie, she leaves the young fox kit in front of a hospital. Probably the only kind thing she ever did for him.” She could hear the resentment in his voice, a tone she hadn't heard before. “With no parents and no relatives to take care of him, the fox kit becomes a ward of the state and goes into the foster system.”

Again Nick took a deep breath. His expression flickering with anger. “And for the next eight years that's his life, A foster child. Bounced around from home to home, never a solid family or friends. And each new house is the same. He's given a new name; Tom, Eric, Danny, Joseph and he's told how he has to behave.” He looked up at her, the look of anger clear on his face. “They dress him. They feed him. But they didn't want the fox kit. They wanted him to be what and who THEY expected him to be. And when he wasn't, they get rid of him. Just… threw m- him away, like a piece living of trash. Some of the houses are worse than others.” Slowly Nick stood up, turning his back to her and reaching back before-

Her eyes widened as he lifted the back of his shirt. Dozens of scars criss crossed his back, the red fur divided by thick angry raised welts where the skin was so thick no fur could grow through it. “In one home the ‘dad’ was a raging drunk. And his favorite thing to do when he got home from a bender was to beat the fox kit with a belt until his back is split open and bleeding.” After a few seconds he shifted turning to face her before lifting up his left arm and shaking back his sleeve, revealing the bald patch she'd seen on his first day at school. Now that she could see it clearly, she could tell It wasn't so much a patch as it was an angry warped line through his fur. “In another home the mom would take her fur curler and hold it to his skin till he’d learned his lesson whenever he didn't behave exactly how she expected.” 

At his words her fur prickled and her stomach lurched sickeningly. How could anyone do such things to anyone? And for him to have been a child at the time. And yet he was speaking so calmly about it. Telling it to her as if it were a bedtime story. A sick twisted horrible bedtime story that made her feel dimly nauseous. After a few moments Nick sat back down on the couch. “Sometimes he'd run away. Live on the streets for a few days or weeks. But he was always found, always dragged back to a new home and a new name and a life he didn't want. And that was his life. For YEARS, u-until…”

His voice crackled a bit, his expression changing as he inhaled and bit his lip. His sides shook slightly as he breathed. After a few seconds he stammered. “S-sorry. I-”

She shook her head. “N-no. Take… take you time.”

She watched as he took another breath, his emotions seeming to get the better of him for a few moments. After a few more breaths he moved, pulling his wallet out from his pocket before opening it and producing a small scrap of paper from it. His expression softened as he look at the scrap before turning and offering it to her. Reaching out Judy took the paper, turning it over in her hand. It was a photograph, a old and weather photograph. In it a young red fox, stood next to an almost comically shorter tan desert fox. For a moment she thought it might be Nick and Finnick. But a few seconds of looking at the picture made her realize the desert fox couldn't be Finnick. For one the fox was wearing a blue business shirt and skirt. The tips of the fox’s ears were different too, more rounded and less pointed than finnick's. Next to the desert fox Nick towered over her like some kind of giant. Next to her Nick spoke. “Until finally someone did want HIM.”

She looked up from the photo to him. “This… this is…”

Nick nodded. “Yeah. My mother, Fenneko.” She looked back down at the photo. In it the young Nick had a blank expression. Not happy not sad just… blank. Like he didn't care about what was happening. “That photo was taken the day she adopted me. And I'll admit… I didn't believe it. I thought she'd be like all the rest. She'd give me a new name a new life and then take it all away when I didn't live up to her expectations. I waited day… weeks… months for it to happen. But… it never did. It probably should have. I was eight years old, just this little bundle of fur and rage at the world. I got into fights at school, I broke the law; just shoplifting and vandalism. And then refused to talk to her when she tried to ask me why i had done what I did.” he paused for a moment, sighing deeply to himself. “honestly… I was a total shit bastard to her. She should have gotten rid of me or beat me like everyone else had. I sure as fuck deserved it. But…”

The emotional look was back now, his eyes starting to water slightly. Slowly she handed him the photo back, hoping it would have the same calming effect as before. He seemed grateful to have it back, taking another shuddering breath as he wiped the slowly forming tears from his eyes. “But… she didn't. She didn't get rid of me. And I … I couldn't understand why. Why was she keeping me around if I was behaving so horrible? And then… one day… there was this storm… I think they called in the biggest storm that decade. Rain, lightning, thunder; like the world was ending. And all I could do was hide under my bed completely terrified of it. 

He looked up at her, noting her slightly puzzled look. “It's not uncommon.  Most canids actually have this deep… psychological fear of lightning and thunder. Even when they grow older. Hell the only reason I'm not stressing on it right now is cause I'm stoned. Normally I'd be this twitchy jumpy…” he shook his head. “Sorry. Anyways I was hiding under my bed. And… she found me. The eight year old kit she'd adopted cowering under the bed, shaking and crying like some toddler. And guess what she did?”

Judy shook her head. Her eyes widened as Nick smiled softly. “She crawled under the bed with me. She held me… well… my head… and she told me that a storm was nature's way of acting out. A way for it to release it's fury and anger. But that eventually it would be over and everything would be calm again. Just like how I was behaving. Right now I was storming. And… that that was ok. That I had a right to be mad at the world for what had been done to me.” Softly Nick chuckled. “No one had ever said that to me. That it was ok to be mad at what had happened to me. That what had been done to me was wrong. I'd lived in… 19 different homes before then, had a dozen caseworkers assigned to monitor me. But no one had ever said those things to me. That my feelings were justified. Until she did, until that day when I was at my most vulnerable. She stayed with me under that bed all day and that night. She skipped work to do it. She never left me. She told me she wanted us to be a family. That she… understood if I couldn't call her my mom, that I might never be able to call anyone that… ever. But… that she hoped I could at least call her my family. That family are the people who love you. That she loved me even after everything I had done and put her through.”

Again he wiped his eyes of the tears that had started to form again. “I think I broke down when she said that. No one… NO ONE had ever said they loved me before. That they wanted to be my family. I remember just bawling, like a baby. Just sobbing and clinging to her until I physically couldn't cry anymore and I passed out. And she stayed there with me. Just… stroked my head and kept saying how she loved me and how everything was going to be ok. And… and it was.”

He smiled weakly at her. “I didn't get better overnight. I had eight years of pain and abuse and neglect to overcome. But… she got me into some counseling. And after awhile… I started to get better. I wasn't misbehaving or acting out anymore. I was… happy. And suddenly that was my new life. I was a kid again. And that went on for…. Three years? Hang on… Finnick is… six? So yeah, three years. Then when I was 11 my mom gave me the news. I was going to have a sibling, a brother or sister. That she was going to have a baby.” Again Nick chuckled softly. “I'll admit I didn't really understand what all that meant. I was just happy that she was happy. And just like she said, a few months later she had Finnick.”

She watched as he smiled. “Gods Judy… he was so small. Smaller than she was, which I honestly didn't think was possible. Just… he was tiny. This little jumble of fur that I could hold in one hand. He was so small and pure and good and... he was my baby brother. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but I knew I wasn't going to let anything bad happen to him, ever. And so nothing did. I helped take care of him for two years, treated him like he was my own son. I didn't really understand a lot back then. Wasn't until a year or two ago that everything clicked and I realized how everything had happened.”

She watched as he sighed softly. “She was sleeping with this guy from her work. He got her pregnant. Then he tried to break it off. Guess that's the normal response when you're married with a wife and two kids and you've just gotten your mistress pregant. Anyways, for the two years he tried to pay her hush money to be quiet. Then… one day, when I was 14 she went to confront him. To tell him she wasn't going to keep his secret anymore. And… he shot her… six times.”

Judy's eyes widened in horror. “H-he-”

Nick nodded to her. “Yeah. Killed her with the first shot. Guess the other five were… fuck I don't know. Anyways… with no one to take care of me or Finnick, guess what happens? We go back to foster care. Only they don't let teenagers stay with their infant brothers. They…” Slowly Nick took another deep breath. “They would have taken him away and I wouldn't have ever seen him again. And I… I couldn't… wouldn't let that happen. I WOULDN'T let him go through what I did. It happening to me was one thing, I was treated like garbage the moment was born, but Finnick… he had a family who loved him. And I wasn't going to let him forget it. So… before child protective services came… I grabbed him and... we ran. I knew some people from my times on the street. They got me a fake license and ID. And with that… I became Finnick's father.”

Nick chuckled coldly. “Wanna know something funny? Most people have a really hard time telling how old a canid is after the age of 14. Something to do with our height I think. It was… disgustingly easy. I walked into the bank where her accounts were and said I was her brother on our dad's side. Showed them a copy of her death certificate and had myself added to her accounts. It's amazing how smart she was with her money. She set up a dozen different accounts that pay monthly interests. I barely have to touch the actual accounts. The interest is more than enough. Been living off that ever since. Finnick has no idea. As far as he knows I'm his dad. And it's just been us for the last four years. On our own.”

Silence stretched between them. Judy's mind was reeling, struggling to understand everything he'd told her. It was… the things he'd been through… she could hardly believe them. Foster care, abusive homes, living on the streets and then…

“Nick… I… I'm…” She could barely speak. It explained so much. Why he pushed people away. Why he didn't want the school calling his parents. Why he'd asked her not to tell anyone about Finnick. Why…

She frowned slightly at him. “What about what you said? About… dying?”

Nick chuckled again. “Life has a cruel sense of humor Judy. Six months after all that happened… something about me changed. It was small at first. Id doze off in the middle of class. Or I'd sleep in an hour more than I meant to. But then… it started getting worse. Id dozen off for two or three hours. Id get home and be completely exhausted. Somedays I would lay in bed and have so little energy that I could barely get up and take care of Finnick. And then… one day… I cut myself making lunch. Just nicked my finger with the knife. And it bled… and bled… and bled. And it didn't stop bleeding for three hours. Just this steady stream of blood. I knew something was wrong. So… I went to  a doctor. And they ran a bunch of tests… made me spend hours in that office. And then… a week later… they sent me a letter.”

Nick broke off for a moment, his expression changing to one of cold amusement. “Cancer. Specifically Leukemia.” She almost dropped her cup of hot chocolate, her eyes widening in shock. But he continued to speak. “They wanted to start chemo right away. I refused of co-”

She cut him off, her voice higher pitched than she’d ment it to be. “You refused!?”

Nick blinked before nodding. “Yeah. I Refused chemo. It-”

But again she cut him off. “Why would you do that!? Nick, you have cancer! You need to get treated!”

Again Nick chuckled. “Carrots… do you know what chemo does to your body?”

That made her fall silent. She didn't know. She only had ever heard about it third hand. She-

Nick sighed. “Imagine… having a bump… on your head. So you decide that once a week you're going to bash this brick against your head and hope that you smooth out the bump BEFORE you crack your skull open. That's chemo. That's what the doctors wanted me to put myself through. They wanted to pump me full of drugs which will basically poison my body in the HOPE that it would kill the cancer before me. NO THANK YOU.”

She continued to stare at him. How could he not be seeking treatment? How could he have cancer and not being seeking treatment? How could-

He seemed to know what she was thinking. “Let me be clear carrots. I'm not going to chemo. But I'm not doing nothing either. I have a multi medication regimen that I take every day. That keeps the cancer from getting worse, mostly. Plus an array of medications that help me keep the side effects from the first batch of drugs in check. That day, during my first week; the one where I was vomiting. I had run out of the anti-nausea meds I take.”

She bit her lip. So… he wasn't just doing nothing. And it was nice to have an explanation. But…

“Don't carrots.” 

she blinked, looking at him. “Huh?”

He took a sip from his mug before continuing. “Don't think whatever fatalist romantic thoughts you were about to have. We can't be together. Im dying. So just… just let those feelings go. For both our sakes.”

She shook her head slowly. “Why?”

He sighed, anxiously running his hand through his fur. “Lion christ, did you miss the part where I have CANCER? Where I don't know how much longer I'm going to be ALIVE for? Whe-”

She nodded. “Yes. I heard that. But… what if… I don't care?”

This time it was his turn to blink at her in shock. “W-what?”

She bit her lip, trying to pick her words carefully. “Nick… I care about you. You're more than just a friend to me. I don't want to lose you.”

Nick sighed. “And that's why we can't be together carrots.” slowly he stood up, looking at her sadly. “You're going to lose me. The meds work well, but they aren't a cure. Eventually I will fall, and I won't get up again. And when I die… if we are together before that… that will be the worst day of your life. And I won't have that. Look… you can stay till the storm is gone. But then… you have to leave.” before she could respond he turned, moving to walk away from her and down the-

“So that's it?”

He stopped, taking a deep breath. “yeah carrots. That's it. I won't let you love me. I don't… I don't want to be the one who ruins your life.”

He could feel her eyes on him. “What about what I want?”

He but his lip. “You don't know what you want Judy. You can't. You're just  a kid.”

“Excuse me?” Anger was creeping into her voice. “A kid? A KID? Im 17 years old, same as you! And if you're old enough to make these decisions then im old enough to make this one.”

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath that made his chest shake slightly. “carrots… please… I need you to stop… please…”

“Why? Why do you need me to stop? You don't want me to love you? then tell me to go away.  Say it Nick. Say it.” He took another breath. willing himself to remain calm. When he didn't respond she kept talking. “I remember what happened at the market Nick. You kissed me back. If you didn't want me to care about you then you could have pushed me away. You could have told me no. You could have stopped it. But you didn't. Why Nick? If you don't want me love you then why didn't you st-”

“BECAUSE I COULDN'T!” He spun around to face her. “BECAUSE KISSING YOU WAS THE SECOND GREATEST MOMENT IN MY LIFE! AND I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END! ” His heart hammering in his chest again. Why was she making this so difficult? Why couldn't she just not care about him, like everyone else? On the couch Judy glared at him.

“Because you love me back Nick.” Gods her voice was so…  _ beautiful _ .

He growled, his fur prickling in anger. “Yes! Ok?! lion christ, I love you Judy Hopps! You're all I think about. And I want so badly to be with you it hurts. BUT WE CAN'T BE TOGETHER BECAUSE IM DYING!”

She was standing now too, Her ears standing straight up while her foot thumped angrily against the floor. “AND I DON'T CARE! I DON'T CARE THAT YOU'RE DYING! I WANT TO BE WITH YOU!”

He growled again, his temper rising. Why was she being so stubborn?! “STOP SAYING THAT!”

she took defiant a step towards him.  “MAKE ME! I LOVE YOU NICK WILDE! I LOVE YOU AN-”

Her voice ended abruptly as he stormed towards her. His skin itched and burned. He stalked towards her, until he was inches from her, glaring down at her defiant expression.  When he spoke he tried to put as much anger in his voice as possible. “STOP. SAYING. THAT.”

She matched his gaze, matching his anger with defiance. “No. Nick I love you.”

He growled again. “STOP SAYING THAT!”

She shook her head. “No.”

He growled louder. Gods she was infuriating!  He'd told her everything! Now she knew! How could she still care about him?! How could she still want to be with him?! How-

His thoughts ended abruptly as she grabbed him. Gripping the front of his shirt before pulling him off his feet on, “AH!” He yelped as the world spun unexpectedly. A second later the world froze, his breath catching in his chest as…

“j-Judy…” She'd pulled him down on top of her. Now she looked up at him, her eyes… those beautiful perfect knowing eyes looked up at him. “Wh-what are you d-doing?”

She smiled softly up at him. “I love you Nick Wilde. And I know you love me. If you want me to stop, then get up and leave me. But… if you love me… then stay.”

As she spoke her hands moved, drifting over his chest just as they had done before at the market. Weakly he groaned at the touch. “j-Judy… please… we… I… I can't…”

She kept smiling up at him. Those beautiful eyes seeming to stare right through him. “I can't either Nick. And im doing trying to resist”

His resolve was crumbling around him. How many months now had he wanted her? How many nights had he woken up from a dream about her? How many times had his stomach flipped when she'd smiled or laughed at him? How hard had it been for him to resist this? to resist her? How easy would it be to just… give in? To accept her feelings and be with her without caring about what would happen after his illness had run its course. He bit his lip as he felt her tug against his shirt, just as she had done at the market. “I love you Nick Wilde.”

Those words made his breath catch in his chest, the last of his resolve crumbling and falling away. She was everything to him in that moment. Everything that was worth having in the time he had left, however long or short that may have been. Her soft beautiful scent filled his lungs as she pulled him down against her, their lips connecting in a soft beautiful kiss that made his head spin slightly. It felt so good. So right. So perfect. Like she was made for him to kiss. 

_ She hustled you fox. She hustled you GOOD. And there is nothing you can do about it now. _


	7. Together (SMUT CHAPTER)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SMUT.   
> IF YOU DONT LIKE THAT, SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER

It was impossible to describe.  The rush of emotions that surged through him as he kissed her. Every part of him felt like it was humming, making him crave more and more of her embrace. He pressed down against her, groaning weakly as she pressed back up against him. She seemed to want this too. His arms and paws moved. Lowering himself so he wasn't on his paws and knees anymore but instead resting on his forearms, a more comfortable position with the added benefit of allowing their chests to rub and press together. Gods how had he ever been able to resist her? Her flowery beautiful scent mingled with his. Creating a paradoxically sweet yet musky smell that made him-

With an impossibly herculean effort he pulled away from her, a deep whining pant escaping his lips as he did so. He wanted to keep kissing her. But his lungs were aching and burning. And judging by how she was panting beneath him, Her’s were too. He sucked down lungfuls of air, willing his lungs to stop aching so he could kiss her again. Beneath him he felt her move, her paws coming up to-

“Mmmmmm.” the sounds was involuntary, uncontrolled. A deep rumbling growl as her paws ran along his chest. "J-ju-”

But she cut him off, dragging him roughly back into another kiss. For a moment his nose twinged as they connected, but he ignored it. He could handle a little pain if it meant he could keep kissing her. He groaned as her paws continued to run along his chest, the contact sending shudders through him. It spurred him, made some part of him come alive, making him kiss her harder, deeper. This time she was the one who groaned. the feeling of him above her, on her, pinning her down. It sent chills up her spine, rippling through her body. The roof felt hot, and her nose was filled with nothing but his musky scent. Again they broke apart, both of them panting furiously, their breath wafting across each other's faces. Both of them waited, watching to see if the other would try to stop the rapidly escalating situation. 

Neither of them did.

Their lips crashed together again, hungrier this time practically devouring the other's in their fervor. ForNick is was  a rush beyond words. He was still high, not as much as when she'd first arrived but still enough that everything felt different. Her scent was intoxicating, filling his nose and lungs until it seemed to saturate every part of him. Her body pressed up against his, the rubbing and grinding feeling better than he'd ever hoped it could. And her lips; Sweet fucking cheese and crackers her lips. He’d only kissed her three times and he was already addicted to them. The soft velvetine like skin, the way they moved, even the occasional brush of her little pink nose against his fur. It was all so addicting. It made him burn, craving more from her; like a hungry animal. Before he knew what he was doing his tongue lapped out, tasting those precious perfect lips. He felt a shudder roll through her body, her paws gripping the fabric of his shirt in fists. 

For Judy it was exhilarating. All her life she’d been labeled the ‘good girl’. Always done what everyone had expected of her, never acted out or rebelled in anyway. But this, this was different; HE was different. He did something to her, pulled at something deep inside her. Something carnal, something feral. The feeling of his tongue against her lips was enough to make her shake. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her lungs were full of his scent and if she hadn't been gripping his shirt so tight she’d be shaking much worse. He was changing her, drawing her out; making her want more and more of him. A year ago she would have slapped any boy who tried to kiss her. But now… now she never wanted him to stop. But more than that… she wanted MORE.

When they broke a part next it was her turn to growl, the desire for more bubbling in her chest. It made her act, yanking him back down onto her before he’d even had a chance to take a breath. This time it was her tongue that came out, running along his lips. Instantly Nick groaned, his mouth opening and-

It was like a bolt of lightning through her brain as their tongue connected and rubbed against each other. It was beyond words, so wrong and so right at the same time. And suddenly a new sensation reached her, his paws on her fur; running along her stomach. She gasped at the contact, breaking the kiss and shuddering as she felt his tongue lap against her neck and jaw. "Judy-”

His voice was deep and husky, practically dripping with want. She didn't even have to give him permission, he could feel the want radiating from her. He pulled her shirt up and away, hurling it across the room.  _ Finally; MORE _ . he practically attacked her, his paws and fingers touching every inch of her fur they could, while his mouth kissed and his tongue lapped at her new exposed body. Gods she was so perfect, everything about her was beyond perfect. It was maddening. He could feel her shuddering and moaning beneath him, something he took great delight in making her do. He never wanted her to stop, he wanted her to make those beautiful sounds for the rest of his life; even if that was only the next five minutes. 

But the feeling and sound of her moving made him look up, his breath ghosting along the stomach. His eyes widened as she moved, grabbing her bra and pulling it off with the same intensity he'd removed her shirt with. Sweet cheese and fucking crackers. His body moved on its own, instantly moving to the new swaths she'd exposed. Beneath him she moaned as his tongue came out, Lapping at her chest. "N-n-Nick!”

Oh gods the sound of her voice was impossible. His paws moved pressing against her back, pushing her chest up against him while he ran his tongue through her fur, searching. The sounds of her moans gave him clues, louder when he was on track. Lower when he was going wrong wa-

"Nick!”

There it was, the small little nub; Judy’s nipple. Just what he’d been looking for. He lavished attention on it, his tongue swirling around, licking, and lapping at it while one of his paws moved to rub and tease her other one. The sounds she was making were incredible to him. Moans, grunts, whimpers, gasps and he was making her make them. And then suddenly he pulled back, looking down at her. She was beyond beautiful. Her mouth was open, a shaking ragged pant making her chest rise and fall. Her eyes were half glazed over and he could see the faintest of blushes across her cheeks. She was sprawled out on the couch, looking up at him as she panted. Gods he wanted more, the urge making him shake slightly. Hundreds of ideas flashed through his mind, things he wanted to do to her. Things he wanted her to do to him. It was almost paralyzing. "Nick…” her soft angelic voice pulled him from those thoughts. the feeling of her paw on his chest making him blink.

A second later his back pressed against the arm of the couch. Her touch moving him like he was a piece of paper.  His breath froze in his chest as she crawled onto him, her paws going to his shirt and slowly lifting it. He gasped softly as she pressed her lips to his slowly exposed fur, trailing kisses up his stomach and chest as she slowly exposed them. he shifted, groaning softly and allowing her to pull his shirt up over his head; as he’d done with her. A second later their lips connected again, a less frantic and aggressive kiss but still with plenty of passion as their chests pressed and rubbed together. The kiss was just as good as the ones before, taking his breath away until he couldn't stand it anymore. "Judy....”

She panted back at him, nodding to his unasked question. She must have wanted this just as bad as he did. And yet, despite the want that was rolling off him he found himself… nervous. He bit his lip, his paws drifting down to her hips yet somehow refusing to go lower. He wanted them to, lion christ did him. But… they just....

"Nick…” his eyes found hers; green meeting pink. And suddenly he knew why his paws wouldn't move any further. It became clear as day to him as he started at her beautiful perfect face. “I… I.... I don't…. I don’t want to hurt you.” it was true, truer than anything he'd ever said before. He didn't want to hurt her, not just physically but mentally, emotionally. The idea of hurting her, of causing her any kind of pain it filled his stomach with a sickening weight. It made tears well up in his eyes and made his breath catch painfully in his chest. 

He watched as Judy smiled lovingly at him. "Nick… you won’t. So long as i'm with you, nothing will hurt me.”

She kissed him again. A sweet gentle tender kiss that made his heart swell with the love behind it. He loved her. Loved her more than anything else in the world. He would give her anything she wanted, all she had to do was name it. And if she wanted this… there was no way he could possibly deny her. Not when he so badly wanted to give it her this. His paws moved, his thumbs hooking the band of the sweats she was wearing before slowly dragging them down. He felt her inhale sharply, shuddering slightly as he exposed even more of her. He bit his lip, his want for her growing as he completely removed her sweats. Gods he was aching for her. With a grunt he spun them around, pushing Judy against the arm of the chair where he’d been while looming over her. Gods she was beautiful. He claimed her lips again, the kiss deeper, needier as lust slowly began to take back over. When they broke the kiss he moved, nipping at her neck, her collar bone, her chest, her stomach; each nip earning him a louder moan until he was down past her hips. 

Her scent was beyond overwhelming. It filled his lungs, his brain his mind, his soul. He'd never be able to forget it. No matter what else happened he'd remember this smell forever. His paws went to her hips, making her yelp in surprise as he lifted her off the couch a bit, bringing her closer to his face. Her yelp turned into a moan, his lips planting kisses along her thighs, trailing closer and closer to-

"N-p...pl-please!”

A playful grin spread across his face as he trailed kisses along the edges of her panties. He could feel her shaking, and he could only wonder how close she was to climaxing. Of course if her scent was anything to go off of, she was close. He toyed with her a few moments more, savoring those shuddering whimpers of want as he allowed his tongue to come out and lick the edges of her panties. He'd savor this, this feel of control that he so rarely felt anymore. He may not have had any control over much of his life, but this; THIS he could control. and he'd savor that. He toyed with her. Allowing his tongue to teasingly slip under the elastic of her underwear without going any further. The pained whimpers she let off were like music to his ears. He could practically feel the want dripping from her. Not that that was the only thing. He moved his hand, gently running his thumb along the thin fabric covering her last shred of modesty. She made a new sound then, a deep shuddering kind of hum.

He repeated the touch, watching as her head rolled back, her chest lifting off the couch slightly. "N-n-ohhhhmmmmmm.”

He kept up the contact. His thumb drawing small shapes along the fabric for a few moments. Her scent was getting sharper now, stronger. As she again let out that pleasured hum. Her toes curled as he continued. And as he again ran his thumb across the fabric he could not help but note that it had become damp with her want. Something came over him. He stopped the touches, instead leaning in so he could-

"N-N-Nick!”

her entire body jerked as she felt something warm and damp press against her panties. It was unlike anything she'd felt before. A kind of deep shuddering ripple of pleasure making her body shake and promised her even more if she just-

But her mind froze as he again licked her panties, making a new wave of pleasure was through her. Out of reflex her paws went to her mouth, trying to stifle the moan that erupted from her lips. The third time he did it her toes curled. The fourth time her eyes crossed. The fifth time her head spun. The sixth time… it was like she was possessed something came over her. Some bundle of aggression and frustration she didn't know she had inside her roared to life. The next time she felt him lean in, her legs clamped down on his head; trapping him against her as she growled. “Stop teasing m-mmmmmmmmm!” her words died in her throat as he did just as she’d asked. Her back arched and her mouth flew open as she felt his tongue press against her, a steady stream of licks and lapping making her shake with dull pleasure; pleasure that promised to be even greater if he just…

He seemed to know what she was thinking as she felt one of his paws come up, a single hard claw hooking under the elastic of her panties before slowly pulling them aside and-

"AAAAAAAAAH!”

It was a bolt of lightning to the brain, making fireworks burst through her entire body as she felt his suddenly hot slick tongue press against her entrance. But a split second later her mind seemed to explode as she felt it slip inside, filling her most sensitive place with his hot slick tongue. Her body reacted without her control, her legs wrapping around his head; forcing him closer and more of his tongue inside her. At the same time her back arched, lifting her almost off the couch. And the loudest moan so far exploded from her lips. She’d never felt ANYTHING like this before. It was exhilarating, wild, scary and addictive all at the same time. Inside her she could feel his tongue; rubbing and licking, coaxing those waves of pleasure that now battered he body and mind. At the same time she was moving too, her hips pressing back against him making the waves of pleasure grow and grow. She felt like she was floating or maybe falling or maybe about to explode; she didn't know or care. “Oh gods! OH GODS! OOOOH…...GOOOOODS!” She’d never been that loud in her entire life. Her voice echoed back at her, the sound of her own pleasure making her somehow even more aroused than she’d be-

To Nick it was like a game. Each lick and thrust of his tongue made her make a new noise. And each sound made him crave more, making him slip his tongue deeper inside her, urging more sounds from her. Her taste was… exquisite. A kind of tart sweetness that made him think vaguely of blueberries. It coaxed his tongue deeper, craving more and more of her wonderful flavor while she moaned and gasped and-

And then he did it, his tongue brushing against the small bundle of nerves deep inside her. For a moment her eyes snapped open and her mind went completely blank; no thoughts, no feelings, no emotions, no nothing just-

“FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!”

The word erupted from her mouth without any control as she felt everything slam into her like a truck. The pleasureful waves she’d been experience roared to life, grabbing her; dragging her down into their depths to drown her. Her heart felt like it was about to explode. Sounds she’d never made in her life accompanied a stream of nonsense that came from her mouth. Her hips frantically bucked against Nick’s face as she felt his tongue continue to move, making the pleasure feel that much stronger. Time seemed to fall away, it simply didn't matter. All she could think about was him and what he was making her feel. As her body twitched and shook with pleasure. For a moment it felt like she blacked out, her body going completely numb. No, no she wasn't unconscious. She could still feel him. His tongue wasn't inside her anymore. But instead… weakly she groaned. A soft almost exhausted moan as she felt him slowly planting kisses along her legs, her stomach, her chest, her neck and then…

The kiss was soft and tender but still managed to send a few decadent shivers through her body as she found a new flavor accompanied the kiss. HER flavor. That thought made her face burn, yet at the same time made her kiss him harder. This kiss didn't last as long as the others, her lungs still recovering from the climax she’d just gone through moments ago. “T-th-that w-was… o-oh gods.” she didn't have words to describe what that had been. She felt him moving, gently shifting her until…

She groaned softly, feeling him pull her back against his chest. The pleasure had drained out of her now, leaving a kind of warm pleasant tingle buzzing through her. Again she groaned, feeling his gently kiss her shoulder. “You ok carrots?”

She nodded weakly. Ok? She was better than ok. She was so so sooooo much better than ok. She was...

“W-wait.” She shifted slowly, rolling over so she was facing him.  _ Gods he’s handsome.  _ It was true. His red fur, his green eyes, the expression of concern on his face. Gods he was amazing. Her eyes roved his chest and stomach and-

A moment later she gasped softly as she found that his pants were gone, as was his underwear; giving her a rather generous view of his…

The flame of want that had been sated only moments ago flickered slightly. “When did you?”

Nick smiled sheepishly. “I… uh.... Couldn't help it so… I… used my hands while...” She felt embarrassment prickle her face as her eyes dropped back down again to his organ. It was… big. Really big. After a few moments Nick spoke. “I can…. Get dressed if you-”

She looked up at him, a frown covering her face. “What? Why?”

She watched as he squirmed a little. “I… i don't want… you to be… uncomfortable.”

For a moment she looked at him, at his face. A expression of uncertainty was splayed across his features. Did he really think-

"Nick… you should feel good too.”

He again squirmed. “I did. I just… i don't…”

She silenced him with a finger. A soft smile spreading across her lips while her paw drifted down along his stomach until- 

Her smile grew as Nic let out a gasp, his expression flickering to one of pleasure as her fingers brushed along his length. Despite what some people might have thought, she wasn't a complete prude. She’d gotten curious once or twice about certain… things. And since she had her own laptop in her room it hadn't been super hard to find what she was looking for; although she’d certainly never watched the videos of such things involving foxes. Her fingers gently closed around his length, making her bite her lip as she found the flesh throbbing and hot in her hand. It was different then she'd thought it would be. His foxhood was warm and hard yet at the same time had a kind of softness to it. She gave it an experimental squeeze, feeling it compress slightly before throbbing and swelling again. in front of her Nick moaned softly. “C-carrots…” she smiled at his tone, a soft, cute almost whining moan. She shifted closer, pressing her chest against his so she could nuzzle and kiss his neck and jaw. 

“What Nick? What can your bunny do for you? How can I make YOU feel good?”

Her words sent a deep shudder through him. His bunny. HIS bunny. Gods that… that was beyond hot. He moved before he knew what he was doing, his paws going to the sides of her head to pull her into a ragged wanting kiss that he growled into. She returned the kiss, allowing him to enjoy the contact for a few moments before-

“Mmmmmm!”

She grinned slightly as he broke away, his chest rumbling as her fingers ran along his warm and slowly slickening length. “Say it Nick. Tell YOUR bunny what you want.” as she spoke she gave his organ a soft squeeze, making him gasp and inhale sharply. She'd seen his eyes glare at the term, an obvious sign that he liked it.

“I… I… g-gods carrots.... I… I…” she watched as he closed his eyes for a moment his chest shaking as he inhaled before, “Iwanttobeinsideyou!” his words tumbled out of his mouth, barely a breath between them. 

His face burned as the words

echoed around the room.  _ Oh gods… did I just… _

He expected her to pull away. To be annoyed at his request. Or to say something along the lines of, "No.” but instead, “I want that too Nick”

His eyes flew open in shock, his mouth going slack; the feeling of her paw on his organ becoming inconsequential for a moment. His mouth opened and closed silently, his brain trying to be sure she’d truly just said that. 

She… wanted… too? She wanted too? She wanted… with him?

She nibbled and kissed along his jaw, a small feeling of smugness filling her chest for having surprised him. “Nick your bunny wants you inside her.” 

the part of him in her paw stiffened instantly, clearly liking the idea. “I … uh… I …” gods he hadn't expected her to say yes. He'd never dreamed they'd ever go this far. Ok, maybe he'd dream but never… never hoped...

In Front of him she smiled again clearly amused by his shock. “its ok Nick. I want this too.”

He swallowed nervously. “I … o-ok. But…”

His brain was starting to work again. If this was really going to happen… he needed to do a few things first. “wait here.”

It took all his strength to move away from her, managing to stagger to her feet. Oh gods it felt like he was in some kind of lame as amateur porno. He shook his head, willing the still present cannabis influenced thoughts and sensations to subsi-

“w-whao.” the room tilted out from under him, pushing him backwards into the couch again. From where he lay Judy chuckled. 

“you ok Nick?”

He nodded  slowly. “y-yeah. Just… still really… stoned.” 

She sat up a but, looking at him slightly concerned. “is that ok? Should we… stop?” 

he looked at her. Gods she was so beautiful. He shook his head. “y- yeah. Just… needed to get... lube.”

She felt her face prickle slightly with heat at his words. She hadn't thought of that. He was… rather large. Lubrication would be a must. She watched as Nick moved, again slowly getting to his feet before toppling back down to the couch. She giggled softly at him, crawling towards him as an idea occurred to her. She'd seen something in one of the videos she'd watched. Her face tingled again, a mixture of embarrassment and excitement rushing through her. “hmmm. I have an idea.”

He looked sideways at her. “w-wha- ahhh!”

His words turned into a deep moan as her paw closed around his length again, stroking it softly. Her heart was beating wildly. This was SO out of character for her, yet she found herself almost giddy with excitement. She kissed his stomach, his abs; savoring the feeling of power she had over him in that moment. The way he was groaning was adorable and with each kiss she felt his muscles twitch ever so slightly. It was a rush, to know that her touch was doing this to him. She Shifted looking up at him and he whimpered softly. She watched as his head tilted back, his eyes eyes drifting closed as he moaned and shook again. She bit her lip, mentally readying herself before-

“gaaah!” His moan deepened, accompanied by a shuddering gasp as she leaned in, running her tongue along the side of his length. His body stiffened and she felt him squirm. "J-j-j-Aaaah!” she repeated the movement, allowing a bit more if her tongue to run along his flesh. It wasn't an unpleasant flavor. It was salty, vaguely tasting like a casserole her mother made once or twice. She adjusted her position, angling herself so more of her tongue could run up and down his foxhood. He was panting now, his chest rising and falling dramatically. “g-gods… Judy…” his moans emboldened her, making her move a little closer and faster. Her tongue drifted upwards running along the tip of his organ earning her a sharp gasp while his body stiffened again. Slowly she drifted down, running her tongue along his shaft, using it to guide him until…

"Judy!” it was impossible not feel a swell of pride in her stomach. She was doing this to him. She, who had never done anything like this in her life, was making him moan and groan and writhe by using just her tongue and mouth. And part of her, the part currently in control, wanted to see just how good she could make him feel.

It was beyond description. Pleasure burst in front of his eyes like tiny bombs. His heart hammered in his chest and he could barely breath as each time she ran her tongue along his length made him gasp and moan. His paws had a vice like grip on the back of the couch, and he could barely think straight about the sounds he was making. gods it felt so good. Soooooo fucking good. Never in his life had he ever expected to feel this. He could feel her tongue, lapping and licking along his length and bulb, making him gasp and whimper. each time she encased his organ in her mouth it took all his self control not to grab her head and just… do… unspeakable things to her. Gods how could anything feel so fucking good?! A white hot sun of pleasure was building in his stomach making his paws shake with the force he was gripping the couch with. He wanted this so badly, so much that it physically hurt for him to think of anything else. How easy would it have been to just let this happen? And yet...

"Ahhh…. Ju-ju-Judy….j-Judy!”

it took all of his strength to move, his paw roughly grabbing her shoulder while the other went to back of her head and dragged her up closer to him. their lips crushing together almost violently a moment later. His tongue aggressively invaded her mouth, claiming it savagely for himself while his foxhood throbbed angrily at the sudden loss of contact with her mouth and tongue. His heart was about to explode and all he could think about was how badly he needed her. Not wanted her, NEEDED her. HE NEEDED HER. Needed her like he needed air or water or… nothing else even came close to how badly he needed her in that very moment. He'd never needed anything in his life as badly as he needed her right then.

She  seemed to know what he wanted, moving even as they kissed, straddling his hips and-

They broke apart, both of them gasping as a bolt of lightning jumped between them as his organ brushed against her sex. For a moment something cleared in his mind, the fog of lust parting for a moment. He could see her clearly,  panting, shaking, probably feeling the same things he was. But that would mean…

"J-Judy… do…” gods even his voice was shaking. His paws pulled her closer, her chest resting against his as their foreheads touched softly. The words he'd been about to say died in his throat at the sight of her beautiful purple eyes. “I need you… please...” It was a kind of whimpering of plead. The need to have her so strong it was almost all consuming. He NEEDED this, To have her all to himself. To make her his. But as he held her there against his chest he didn't want to hurt her. If she didn't, if she wasn't ready or… if she didn't want...

He groaned softly as she arms encircled his neck. Her eyes seemed to stare right through him as they connected to his green ones. He felt her move, her hips adjusting until-

They reacted at the same time. his breath exploded from his chest in a trembling panting gasp while her breath became a soft whimper. Pleasure flooded through both their bodies as the connect between them deepened, her hips lowering so more and more of him was inside her. 

Gods she was shaking uncontrollably. Her grip around his neck tightened out of necessity, while her toes curled unconsciously. Another gasp forced the breath from her lungs as another inch slipped inside her. It was beyond describing. She'd expected it to hurt, he was rather sizable compared to her, and there was a slight discomfort sure. A sense of being stretched and filled in a way she'd never felt before. But more than that was a hot feeling of friction, each inch inside her throbbing and pulsing sending a dull wash of pleasure through body. Another inch slipped inside her and this time she moaned, the feeling of pleasure deepening as the sense of connection grew. Her eyes flickered to Nick the expression on his face almost comical as his tongue hung from the side of his mouth and his ears twitched. Another inch down and this time he groaned, his head rolling back as a deep wanting moan slipped from his mouth. She pressed in, burying her face against his neck, Savoring every single possible detail about this moment. He was so warm, so impossibly inexplicably warm, he felt like a heater. It drew her to him, making her press against him even as more of him slipped inside her. His paws where on her hips, and with a kind of pleasure filled jolt she realized he was pulling her down onto him making more and more of him enter her until she felt his bulb come to rest against her entrance.

It was impossible, completely impossible. She'd never felt anything like this before. Each breath she took sent ripples of pleasure racing through her body. Each throb of his organ made her gasp and pant. The need she was feeling was almost a physical burning in her gut. Her body refused to listen to her brain anymore. With a grunt she moved, forcing the last inch of him inside her with a grunting gasping shaking moan that sent a blast of pleasure through her body so powerful that it made her eyes water. It was to much. The pleasure rushing through her, the heat coming from him that was making her sweat. The burning want in her stomach that told her to move her hips and ride him until neither of them could move for the next month straight. Gods it was to much. She moved, her body taking on a mind of its own as-

"Naa!”

He grunted, a small jolt of pain ripping through the pleasure before instantly being absorbed as he felt her bite down on his shoulder. It wasn't overly painful, she wasn't a predator after all. But it was enough to make him jerk slightly, a sharp sudden spike. making him press up into her in response.

_ oh gods _ . He wasn't sure if he was still alive anymore. She was so warm, so wonderfully deliciously perfectly warm. With each breath she took her insides contracted squeezing around his foxhood making it throb and pulse in response. Every fiber in his body was screaming at him, telling him to pin her down and fuck her like a wild feral animal until she was filled with his kits. It was so tempting, so unbearably almost torturingly tempting. And yet, he didn't move… mostly. His chest rose and fell as he gasped for breath, rubbing against hers as she maintained her bite on his shoulder. He wanted her, oh gods did he want her, but he was almost hypnotized by their chests. The feeling of them rubbing together was exquisite but deeper still… with a small shiver he realized she was close enough that he could feel her heart beating. A fast thumping rhythm that beat against her chest and in turn again his own heart. He'd never been this close to someone before. He'd never allowed anyone this close. 

And yet here she was, resting against him,  both of them connected in the most intimate of ways. a way he'd never allowed himself to ever hope to feel with her or with anyone.  For a moment, a single flickering moment something bloomed in his chest, some kind of deep warmth that made him move; his paw coming up to gently run along her ears. The touch made her groan, her bite on his shoulder lessening slightly. He continued to stroke her ears, turning his head to nuzzle her. He could feel her shaking lessening as she adjusted to him. Her insides twitched lessened and her breathing became a little less ragged and a little more pleasured as he comforted her. 

After several minutes he felt her shift. Her mouth leaving his shoulder as she let out a soft groan. “f-fu-gods… you're…”

She shivered as he moved slightly, just a tiny bit to adjust how he was sitting. Yet that tiny movement shot through her spine, exploding in her brain like a firework that made her gasp and pant. 

"Are… are you ok?”

The sound of his voice pulled her attention to him. She could see the concern in his expression, the worry, but also the barely contained want that was no doubt raging inside him. She bit her lip, forcing herself to take deep breaths as she nodded. “Y-yeah.”

He remained still, watching her. She wasn't shaking so much anymore, and her breathing had slowed. She was even-

A groan slipped from his mouth as she moved. Her hips rolling forward a little before rocking back experimentally. She moaned too, her hips rocking with a bit more certainty. a tiny bit of his foxhood slipping out as he pulled back before-

“Haaaa aaaaaaah… J-Ju- ahhhhhh!”

Neither of them was in control of their bodies anymore. For Judy her hips moved on their own, rocking back and forth with greater and great force. each roll forward gave her a moment to inhale sharply, an almost aching gasping breath. But that breath erupted from her lungs a moment later as her hips rocked backwards, returning his organ to her. The feelings rushing through her were… indescribable… impossible… beyond anything she had ever felt or even thought possible. Each time his foxhood withdrew from her it made her insides throb in want, and each time it returned it sent a jolt of pleasure rocketing through her body. Beneath her she could feel Nick move too. His hips thrusting upwards to meet her movements his paws squeezing her hips, his claws teasing her skin every so often. It was electric, the jolts of pleasure from his claw shot through her, mixing with the churning writhing pleasure already filling her. And… and… 

He groaned as she sped up, making his grip on her sides tighten. He didn't have words for what he was feeling now. He'd thought her tongue and mouth had felt good but this… this was another level… another world… another galaxy of pleasure. Her insides squeezed and pulsed around him with each thrust. He’d stopped trying to understand the sounds he was making, the chorus of his grunts, moans, Gasps and whimpers mixing with hers into a concert of pleasure.

Romance fell away. Their need to be tender and loving quickly swallowed up by the growing feral lust between them. With a grow he pulled her forward, his claws pressing against her skin through her fur. Making sure that with each thrust his entire length slammed back inside her, his hips pushing against her’s roughly. He growled, his grip on her hips tightening, his growl lessening slightly as she sped up in response.

He felt almost drunk. Drunk off her. Drunk off pleasure. Drunk off…

He growled again, his paws pushing and pulling her, making her go faster; the pleasure becoming stronger as he did. And then she moaned, a deep whimpering moan that told him all he needed to know. Suddenly instinct took over, shoving the last shreds of romance away. With grunt he lifted her up. Replacing her back and forth movement with-

"Aaaaah!”

Gods the sound of her moans was like a drug. He needed more. Needed to hear them again and again. They Reached into him. Made him crave more. Made him urge her body up and down his length faster and faster. He could feel her shuddering, her grip around his neck becoming tighter as he took over their movements. He felt wild, out of control; the feral side of his brain taking over and he forced her up and down faster and faster, making their bodies slap together frantically. The friction was incredible, each thrust sending a bolt of pleasure ripping through his body; each one promising the next would be better than the last. 

"N-N-Ni-AHHHHHH!”

He growled at the sound of her moaning. He could feel her insides writhing, clamping down on around him even as he drove her up and down. Something burst in his chest a kind of… anger, jealousy; at her having reached her peak first before him. His grip changed. His arm wrapping around her hips while his now free paw grabbed the back of her head, forcing their lips together in a savage claiming kiss. He needed more, more of her, more this feeling, of her being his, of being with him.  _ My bunny. MY BUNNY! ALL MINE! _

A second later he felt his own climax slam into him. A loud feral growl shaking his entire body as he drove her down, impaling her on his length. His mind went blank, the only thought in his mind; a desperate need to make sure he was completely buried inside her as he felt himself twitch as spasm with his release. For a moment a new thought ripped through his mind. He didn't want this to end. Not just the sex. But her and him. He didn't want it to ever end. He wanted to be here, with her… together … forever.

The feeling made her gasp. Breaking the kiss as the feeling of something warm and sticky flooded her insides. She tried to pull away to tilt her head back like her body seemed to want her to do. But the paw on the back of her head kept her in place. Her forehead resting against his, while their panting breaths mixed between them. It was different than before. When he'd been using his mouth the pleasure had exploded like a bomb inside her, making her twitch and scream uncontrollably. This was not that. Instead… it was like a deep shuddering wave. It rolled through her body. It started at her toes making them curl before rolling through her legs, making them wobble slightly. Then her hips which she pressed back against him feeling the warm hot throbbing organ still twitching and gushing inside her. Her chest which pressed in against his, suddenly oddly cold despite having been on fire moments ago. Her arm squeezed his neck weakly. Gods she felt so… warm. As if she were sinking into a warm bath that smelled of fox. Against her he moved, his grip on the back of her head loosening as his own head rolled back to lay against the back of the couch. Her body moved almost instinctively, her head coming to rest in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

She bit her lip, a faint tingle spreading across her face as she found she could faintly hear his heartbeat.  _ Gods… it's pounding like crazy.  _ It was true, her own beat was rapidly thumping away but for some reason she'd thought his might be different; slower perhaps.. It wasn't though, if anything it was faster than hers. She shifted a little, looking up at him. He was panting, his face again in that almost cartoon like expression with his tongue hanging out a goofy grin covering his face. She giggled softly, making him stir slightly and look at her. She smiled up at him, her face tingling at the sudden realization of what had happened. Suddenly unable to look at him she turned, pressing her face against his neck willing the odd butterflies in her stomach to go away.  _ What's wrong with you? You just… just… and NOW you're shy?! Thats so me- _

But her thoughts ended abruptly as a new sensation washed through her. With a jolt her brain clicked as she realized what was happening.Nick was a fox; a FOX. A CANID. Which meant-

She could already feel it. The base of his foxhood starting to swell and expand inside her. For a moment she squirmed, half afraid of what the swelling would feel like. He was already big, almost overwhelmingly so at first, surely this would too. She squirmed, trying to pull away from him slightly, trying to free herself before she was stuck in place. Against her Nick seemed to have realized what was happening too. He groaned weakly his arms shaking as he tried to help move her. As he did so she couldn't help but notice how weak he seemed to have become. For a moment she wondered, their activities had left her breathless and tired, yes. But… had it been more draining on him with his…. condition?

"Nnnaaaa.” There was no mistaking the sound of disappointment that came from his mouth as, at the last second she managed to slip away from him. Her own sound mixed with his, the sudden loss of contact making her shiver as he withdrew from her entirely. “G-gods… that… that was… gods…” his voice was breathless, his words shaking slightly as he spoke. Their lust was evaporating now, leaving them both filled with the ghosts of what had just happened and a deep desire to stay like this. She watched as he continued to pant, his eyes fluttering slightly before slowly drifting closed. With a groan he managed to move. still holding her close to his chest as he slowly slipped sideways, laying them out along the couch. He felt her tense a little as he started, but she relaxed as they stretched out on their sides.

“You ok?”

He nodded weakly. Gods he felt so drained. Every muscle in his body felt weak and heavy. Like he'd spent the last several hours working out. Still there was one thing… he had to do… before...

His paw left her body, feeling blindly around for a moment along the back of the couch before finding the blanket he was looking for. Grabbing the length of warm fabric he tossed it over them, a soft hum coming from her as it settled over them, helping to keep them warm. This was heaven. It had to be. There was no other place it could be. Her soft fur against his. Her scent filling his nose and lungs. The feeling of her warm breath against his neck and collarbone. Even the way she was still clinging to his neck. This had to be heaven. It had…. To… be… 

_ My bunny. _

She watched him. His content and happy expression slowly going blank as his fatigue took him. She wasn't far behind him. With the blanket covering them she was feeling very comfortable. The heat from his body mixed with her's, making her body relax against his. Her energy vanished, leaving her feeling tired but happy. She shifted a little, loosening her grip on his neck before-

She froze, one of her fingers brushing against one of the numerous scars that had marred Nick’s back. She bit her lip, her eyes going to Nick’s face which was still expressionless as he slept. Maybe it was wrong of her, maybe it crossed some line but… she couldn't help it. Slowly her finger moved down the scar, feeling the rough thick length of skin against her fur. He’d had so many along his back, a result of such a horrible childhood. And yet… her mind flashed through what had just happened. Through the looks of concern and worry he’d had for her. To the times he’d asked her if she was ok. He was such a good person; even after he’d been put through such misery. 

She allowed herself one last kiss, leaning in to gently press her lips against his even though he was already fast asleep.  _ You’re not alone anymore Nick. I'll be here, until… for as long as I can. I promise. _

She hoped he’d come to believe it. Sighing softly she shifted a bit, cuddling in closer to him while she allowed her eyes to drift closed. The house was quiet now. The only sounds coming from their soft breathing and the warm thumping of their hearts.


	8. The Morning After

Judy groaned softly as she began to wake. She felt good, really REALLY good. As her mind began to work memories of the night before flickered through her. The feeling of him against her. Of their chests rubbing together. Of his lips on her's. The feeling of his tongue… worshiping her. Of his foxhood and…

She bit her lip, an unconscious moan slipping out as she remembered how it had felt. To be at his mercy and under his control as he'd driven her to move faster and faster before he'd taken over entirely. Her insides squirmed a little, remembering the feelings of pleasure that had rushed through her. It had felt so good, so unbelievably good. As the memories of the pleasure washed through her she squirmed slightly, expecting her face to press against the warm soft chest of the fox she'd fallen asleep with. But that didn't happen, instead her face met only the fabric of the couch. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking in the darkened room. She was alone on the couch, Nick was nowhere to be-

Her ears flicked as a sound echoed down the hallway. Her ears flattened slightly as she found she recognized the sound; retching. She sat up. shivering as the blanket covering her fell away, exposing her fur to the cool air. Shivering again she gripped the blanket, pulling it around her shoulders before slowly standing up. It was an odd feeling, standing in someone else's house with no clothes on and just a blanket covering her modesty. Did she really even need to cover herself? She and he had just… 

Her stomach did a kind of flip as she again remembered the night before. She'd wanted him to see her then. Wanted him to stare at her and drink ever every little detail of her body. But more than that, knowing that he WAS looking at her. That she was all he was thinking about and focusing on. And that she was only looking at him. That had thrilled her. Even now it made her heart beat a little faster. So, did she really need to cover herself no-

But her train of thought ended as again the sounds of retching echoed down the hallway. She moved towards the sound, for now keeping the blanket over her shoulders. The house was completely dark. As she walked past the entryway she could just barely make out the faint blue color of the sky, meaning it was maybe an hour or so from sunrise. She hurried down the darkened hallway, a faint groan reaching her ears as she came into view of the bathroom. Nick was sitting on the floor, his eyes were closed and he was leaning back against the wall in front of the toilet. He was still naked, giving her a clear view of him panting. His ears were flat against his head and as she watched one of his paws came up to touch his face, shielding his eyes slightly. 

“Nick?” her voice was soft, softer than she'd meant it to be. He flinched at the sound of his name, his head snapping to look at her. Her eyes widened slightly as he did. He looked…

“J-Judy… I… sorry… I didn't mean to…” His words broke off as a kind of shudder rolled through him, one that made him close her mouth instantly before taking several deep breaths through his nose.

She moved into the bathroom, quickly kneeling down next to him. “what's wrong Nick?”

But he shook his head, his voice sounding weak and shaken. “n-nothing. G-g-go back to sleep. I-I'll be back in-” again his voice broke off, another shudder rippling through him. He quickly put his paws back over his face, his sides shaking as he forced himself to breath slowly. She stared at him, partial stunned that he would say he was ok when he clearly wasn't and also that he thought she would leave him after seeing him like this. 

“Nick… Nick come on… talk to me. What's wrong?” she touched his shoulder as she spoke. In response he jerked in surprise, as if shred startled him. A shaking almost sobbing gasp came from him and with a jolt Judy found that he was shaking almost violently.  “Nick… whats wrong? Talk to me. Whats wr-”

This time it was her words that ended abruptly. In a flash he'd grabbed hold of her, half pulling half yanking her against him. His fur was damp with sweat and she could feel just how badly he was shaking now. He clung to her. Holding her almost painfully tight against him while he buried his face against her neck. At any other time this might have been kinda romantic, but it wasn't romance that was making him Act this way or hold her so tightly. It was… fear… desperation… panic…

Judy's eyes widened as she remembered what Nick had said to her months ago. 

_ "I used to get pretty bad panic attacks. Started two or three years ago.” _

Was he… She returned his grip. Her arms wrapping around his shoulders securely. “Nick… are you… is… are you having a panic attack?”

He let out another shaking breath and a moment later she felt him nod against her neck. She felt her heart clench painfully in response. She'd never seen anyone like this before. His entire body was shaking. His breathing was deep but only because he was forcing it to be, and with each breath he clung to her as if he was scared she was going to leave him.  “Nick... what can I do? tell me how to-”

He couldn't speak. It was taking all of his self control to not burst into hysterical sobbing right then and there. He buried his face against her neck, clamping his eyes shut in an attempt to block the stream of tears that were trickling down his face. He could feel her holding him. Hugging him back. That helped, a bit. He gasped, willing her presence to calm him down as her scent filled his nose. The dream had been so real, so intense. They'd been found, his identity had been exposed. Finnick had been taken away. Judy’s sister had appeared laughing and keeping him from rushing to Finnick. Telling him he was going to die alone as a no good fox. He'd run through a shadowy twisted environment calling out to Finnick who he could hear crying from all around him. To Judy, pleading with her to help him get Finnick back. As he could feel she was nearby but she never responded to his pleading. Then he'd tripped and the ground had seemed to swallow him up, making him fall endless as he screamed in fear and panic and loss. plummeting into an abyss filled with Fenneko's voice, telling him he was a horrible son, A failure as a brother, how he was worthless and how he should just go die so everyone would be happier without him. All the while he'd screamed and begged for someone, anyone to help him. He'd woken up with that same scream, having rolled off the couch on onto the floor. He'd barely managed to crawl away to the bathroom before the attack had started.

It wasn't working. His heart actually hurt it was beating so fast. His grip felt like it was about to snap Judy in half yet he couldn't loosen it. Tears streamed down his face as he struggled to breath. “pl-please… please… do-don't… don't take… please…s-stay...PLEASE… i'm sorr… i'll be good… please don't ha-hate me m-mom-mommy...PLEASE… I'M SORRY!”

He was babbling nonsense, his brain a frenzy of memories and thoughts as the dream seemed to come alive around him. He could feel her against him. could feel her hugging him. Holding him. Trying to sooth his panic. Yet it felt like she was trying to get away from him. Like she was trying to break his grip so she could vanish into the swirling black world of loss that threatened to consume him if he didn't keep hold of her. 

Judy gasped as his grip tightened, actually making a few of the bones in her back pop as a result. He seemed to be getting worse. He was shaking so badly now, her neck was wet from his tears and she could hear him speaking. His words were frenzied and Panicked and half choked out of him. She did the only thing she could think of. When she'd been younger she'd been terrified of the dark. Even when her parents had gotten her a nightlight the shadowy black forms that materialized out of the darkness would make her cry and shake almost as badly as he was now. Gently she moved, her arms cradling Nick's head against her neck. She leaned down, pressing her lips and nose between his flattened ears just as her mother had done with her. “mmm mmm mmm mmm mmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm mm.”

The tune was soft and slow, something her mother had hummed to her on those countless nights she'd worked herself into a panic cause of the dark. At first it didn't seem to work, Nick continued to shake and sob and squeeze her almost painfully tight. She kept humming. Pausing occasionally to kiss the top of his head or to squeeze it reassuringly. She stayed like that for what felt like hours. Doing her best to ignore the pain in her chest at how scared he had become. Holding him tightly she hummed softly to him, willing him to understand that she was here and that she wasn't going to leave him. “mmm mmmmmm mm m mmmmmm mmm mmmmmm.”

Slowly she felt him start to change. His grip on her loosened ever so slightly. His breathing became less Panicked and more natural. His sobbing slowed until it eventually stopped all together. She didn't though, continuing to hum and hold him against her. He was still speaking, his voice weak and shaken as he tried to make words. Most of it was nonsense. a jumble of sounds and sobs that had no meaning, but a few words she could make out. “please” and “sorry” and "Judy.”

Her eyes widened at the sound of her name. She hadn't expected that. She hadn't expected him to be thinking of her. Not now. Not at a time like this. Finnick, yes. His mother. Yes. Her, no. She held him tighter, her mind doing its best not to think about what nightmare he was seeing that involved her. Light begin to wander down the hallway as morning started in a way it was welcome. Bringing with it a warm soft glow that gave her a bit of hope. It seemed to help Nick too, his words slowly stopping as the warm morning sunlight seeped into the bathroom. “shhhhh. Its ok Nick. I'm here. I'm right here. I promise. I'm not going to leave.”

She felt him shudder at her words. Then a soft, “j-j-Judy…”

She squeezed him a little tighter. “yeah Nick. Your cute little bunny Judy is here.”

She felt his grip loosen again, a weak chuckle coming from him. “th-thought you didn't like to be called cute.”

She felt a smile twitch her lips. “only when others call me it.”

He was moving now, tilting his head to look up at her. “then… call yourself cute a few more time… for me.”

She looked down at him, half smiling. “you... ok?”

With a groan he moved, still keeping hold of her but at the same time leaning back against the wall. "I … I don't know. No? Yes? No, not really.”

She looked at him. “want to talk about it?”

He shook his head his eyes drifting closed. “no. Gods, no. I… just wanna stay like this for bit. Ok?” She nodded, cuddling against him, moving to lay her head against his chest. His heart was still beating rapidly, but it wasn't Jackhammering like it wasn't trying to get out of his chest anymore. After a few moments he spoke again. “Carrots… you know… this won't end well for us. Even forgetting the whole cancer thing… a fox… and a rabbit… predator and prey… a lot of people aren't going to like it.”

She nodded against his chest. "I know.” it was true, her sister had been proof of that. Not everyone was going to approve of their relationship. And those people probably wouldn't keep it to themselves either. “but you know… I don't care. I want to be here, with you. And if they don't like it… they can fuck off.”

He chuckled down at her. "I think you've sworn more in the last few hours than i've heard you swear in the last six months.”

She smiled. “maybe is cause you're turning me into a bad girl.” she smiled to herself as she felt a little shiver ran through his body when she said that. 

He ran his paw along her back gently. “well, what would a bad girl like to do now?”

She remained silent for a few moments and she thought. Part of her was enjoying this, just sitting her against him. A part of her wanted to eat something. Another part of her badly wanted to go back to the couch and sleep a bit more. Eventually that side of her won out. "I think i'd like to sleep for a little bit longer.”

He nodded. “that's sound great.” with a soft groan she felt him move, shifting how he was holding her. She felt her face prickle slightly as he maneuvered her into a bridal carry. Carrying her from the bathroom and. “N-Nick?” they weren't going back to the living room where they'd come from. Instead they'd turned the opposite direction and…

She fell silent as he nudged open a door with his foot before stepping into the room. Her eyes widened as she found herself in Nick's bedroom. She'd been in a few boy's rooms before. She'd visited clawhauser dozens of times and see his room. And a few times she'd even seen the inside of Jack’s. Even her own brothers rooms. But his room was different it was… almost completely empty. His bed was neatly made, the blue blankets laid out with hardly a bump or crease in the fabric. His walls were almost completely barren, with no posters or pictures like Clawhauser had. But more than that there were no personal items on his dresser or around the room, like Jack or her brothers had. It was as if the room was devoid of personalization with only the essentials needed to make it a bedroom. Still he carried her to the bed bending down to pull back the covers before laying down with her and covering her back up. “figured this was nicer than the couch.”

She moved, slowly spinning over so she was looking at him. “Nick…”

He smiled at her, a tone of soft pleading in his voice as he spoke. “let's just sleep now Carrots. We've got until 2pm when I have to go get Finnick. Lets just enjoy it. Ok?”

She bit her lip. She wanted to talk about things. About what had happened between them, both last night and just a few minutes ago. She wanted to ask him why his room was barren and why he wasn't trying to treat his cancer but instead just live with it. Yet as she looked at him she felt herself relent. She could ask him those things another time. For now…

“Nick… you know you can talk to me what's happening.”

He sighed softly while looking at her. "I know Judy. But… I don't want to bring you down too. I made peace with what's happening, a long time ago. I'll be ok. I just… I want to enjoy what I have left. Even if that's not very much.” Again she bit her lip. She wanted to say more. But as if he knew what she was thinking he continued. “look… another time. I promise. For now… I just wanna enjoy this. Ok?”

As he spoke he shifted, pulling her a little closer to him. She sighed softly before nodding. “ok… for now.”

She felt him move. His lips pressing against the top of her head. “thanks Carrots.”

 

\---------

 

They slept for at least another few hours, cuddled together under the blankets holding each other. This time when she woke up Nick was still there, still holding her. For a little while she watched him sleep, the soft rise and fall of his chest, the way his face twitched ever so softly. He seemed so… normal. If he hadn't told her he was so sick… and if she hadn't seen so many clues pointing to something being wrong… she might not have figured it out. But… now she did know and it scared her.

CANCER, Nick Wilde had cancer. And not only that, he wasn't ‘treating’ it but just coping with it. That had stunned her, how could he not be seeking treatment? Then again… his situation wasn't exactly normal. Taking care of his little brother by pretending to be his father. Hiding from child services because legally he and his brother could be separated if they were found.  Having gone through the foster system, abusive homes and from his own admission of running away and living on the streets. Nothing about his situation was normal. And yet… it still bothered her. Sure chemo would be rough. She had heard about it from movies and books and other sources. But… if it could save his life… why wasn't he doing it? Why would be ins-

“penny for your thoughts Carrots?” She blinked, her eyes going to his face to find her green eyes open and looking at her. She squirmed a little, trying to think of something to say. When she didn't respond Nick smiled. “wanna know a secret?”

She blinked at him, Slightly taken aback by the question. "I … sure?”

He smiled. “when you think about something really hard, you get this little crease in your forehead. I noticed it a few months ago. And I also noticed it just now. So whats up?”

She sighed, her mind grabbing at the first thing she could think of. "I was… think about… school.”

He looked at her, clearly surprised by her answer. “school?”

She nodded. "I … well.. now that… we're… what about school? I mean… how do you… wanna… be?”

He continued to look at her for a moment before sighing. "I don't know. This… has all happened… really fast. I don't regret it, but… I… I don't know. How do you think people would take it?”

That made her bite her lip again. “well… Ben would probably be ok with it. FruFru… would probably think it's strange, but she'd be ok with it. Jack…”

Nick chuckled. "I can guess how he'd handle it. Couldn't help but notice he barely hangs around you anymore since you slapped him. He'd probably lose his shit if he knew that the ‘dastardly fox’ had soiled your purity.” as he spoke Nick dramatically pretended to twirl a mustache like villain. 

She chuckled at that his impression, doing her best to ignore the slight twist in her stomach. What he was saying was true. since that time months ago when she'd slapped him in public she'd barely seen Jack. A few times they'd passed in the hallways, but he hadn't said anything to her. He'd stopped eating lunch with them too. Apparently ben had asked him about it after school one day. Jack had become aggressive and told the cheetah to mind his own business. A few times she'd considered reaching out to him. Perhaps she had overreacted just a little. Yelling at him, slapping him in public… those actions had been dramatic.  _ He is your oldest friend. You really shou- _

“There's that crease again.”

His words pulled her from her thoughts making her look up at…

His lips pressed gently against her forehead. After a few moments he pulled back and spoke. “look Carrots… I don't have any illusions about how people at school will handle us. Most of them probably won't care one way or another. Some might think its cute and… others certainly won't. And i've been to enough schools to know that i've already got a target on my back for just being a fox. I mean… bellwhether has practically made it her life's mission to do everything she can to tank my grade. So… I don't mind if you wanna tell your friends. But… I don't think we should make out in the cafeteria. Ok?”

She nodded, Trying and failing to not picture him and her making out in the cafeteria… while everyone watched…

“ok… that… sounds good.”

He smiled at her. "I …” his expression changed a little, becoming uncertain for a moment as he spoke. "I’m… I never expected to have a girlfriend so… I hope… if I screw something up… I hope you’ll tell me.”

She smiled at him. “and I've never had a boyfriend. We'll just have to figure it out together.”

He chuckled softly. “so the blind leading the blind then.”

She giggled too. “something like that.”

They spent a little while longer in Nick's bed. sometimes talking, sometimes just laying there enjoying each other's company. It was an odd feeling knowing that they were more than just friends. When she looked at him she could see all the same things she'd seen in him before. Yet at the same time there seemed to be a new level to them. each time he gave her a soft tender squeeze it made warmth blossom in her chest. each time his breath wafted against the top of her head it made her want to be even closer to him. it was like he'd become more complex and at the same time simpler to understand. 

Eventually they did get up, but I was almost noon before that happened. she'd been pleasantly surprised after she'd finished finding her clothes, Nick was making a breakfast of eggs and toast for them. She wasn't sure why, but she hadn't expected him to be able to cook much of anything, but that thought proved to be very out of place as she took her first bite of the eggs. They were good, REALLY good. She'd just been about ti take her second bite when her phone had dinged in her pocket. She'd thought it night be her mother. She had spent the night at Nick's house, and she hadn't exactly let them know that was happening.  _ There's a lot of things that happened that they don't need to know _ . She blushed slightly at that. It was certainly true. 

But as she unlocked the device she found the message was not from her parents but from… Jack. She opened the message, quickly scanning it. 

Judy. I'd like to talk to you at school tomorrow during lunch. Could we meet up… please?

She sighed to herself. Nick noticed the sigh and looked up from his toast. “what's wrong?”

She shook her head. “Jack. He says he wants to talk to me tomorrow.”

Nick continued to look at her. “ok… not seeing the problem here Carrots.”

She sighed again. "I don't know if I wanna talk to him. I mean… he was a pretty big jerk. And…”

“you're worried that if you forgive him he'll go back to trying to secretly asking you out.”

She blinked at him in surprise. “you… put that together really fast.”

Nick chuckled. "It's not an original story Carrots. Look, Id say meet with him. He's your friend. So I gotta think he said what he said out of love for you and not just to be an asshole. Plus, if he tries to ask you out again; just slap him like a boss again.” 

They both laughed at that.


	9. A Date?

The next day at school felt almost normal. She got up, got dressed, caught the train into the city with her sisters and brothers. Things were a little different there. Jill seemed to be going out of her way not speak to her. That suited Judy just fine. She ignored her sister instead sitting with Tomas and listening to him talk about some class project he was working on. When they all split up at the train station she half ran half skipped to her school. she knew they had agreed to act normal around each other at school, but… she found herself excited to see her secret boyfriend. It made her feel edgy, secretive. Like she was some kind of rebel with a big secret that no one else knew. It was exhilarating, making the time in classes fly by, so that with a jolt she realized it was already lunch. As she left the classroom to go to the cafeteria she felt her phone buzz. Pulling it out she found the message was from Jack and he was asking her to meet him just outside the library after she finished eating. She responded with a quick message.

Ok. See you in a bit

She flew through the lunch line, grabbing her usual lettuce and carrot sandwich before…

It was impossible to describe dropping herself down into the chair next to Nick. “geeze, you ok carrots?”

She Could hear it in his voice. The tone that told her it wasn't just a friendly question. She nodded. “yeah. I just… yeah… i'm ok.”

She really was. Sitting here next to him, even if they weren't holding hands or kissing… it made her feel happy. To know that next to her was someone who cared about her as more than just a friend. It made her grin from ear to eat. so much so that when Clawhauser sat down a few moments later he raised an eyebrow at her. “geeze Judy, you like like that time we were 7 and ate all our Halloween candy in one night.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “oh? Do tell.”

Clawhauser laughed. “just like it sounds. We scarfed all our Halloween candy and little miss hippity-hop here was wired for like an hour straight, bouncing off the walls and everything.”

Judy mockingly glared at him. “you were wired too. I seem to recall you shaking so badly you couldn't even hold a glass of water steady.” as she spoke she mimed holding a glass and shaking. 

Clawhauser laughed. “oh the bunny has claws. Methinks she be hanging around the witty fox to much.” as he spoke he looked to Nick who chuckled. 

"I may have given her a lesson or two in wityness.”

Clawhauser nodded. “as I suspected.” he took a bite from his lunch. “seriously though Judy, what's up?”

She wanted to tell him right then and there,  but she also knew if she did then she'd have to retell FruFru when the shrew arrived. And the more she talked about it the more of a chance someone else would overhear. So she shook her head. “tell you when FruFru is here.”

Clawhauser looked at her curiously but shrugged and began eating. Next to her Nick shifted a bit, nudging her slightly with his hip. She looked to him noting that he had a grin along his face too. Maybe not as big as hers but still enough to notice. She bumped him back, making him grin a little wider. Five minutes later FruFru arrived, dropping into her usual spot with a groan. Unable to stay quiet any long Judy let out a kind of nervous giggle. “so… i… we… I have something to say. But it's just for you guy. Ok?”

She watched as FruFru and Clawhauser looked at each other. “what is it?” 

Her heart was hammering in her chest. Next to her Nick had leaned in too, playing the part of the curious friend. She took a deep breath before speaking softly so no one else would hear them. “Nick and I… are together.”

There it was… she’d said it. Somehow that made it all the more real. She and he were together. She watched as FruFru looked between them while Clawhauser raised an eyebrow.

After a moment Clawhauser spoke, looking between them. “as in…”

She nodded. “y-yeah.”

Clawhauser looked to Nick who nodded and smiled. “yeah spots.”

Frufru continued to look at them for a moment. “hang on… how? When?”

Judy paused, remembering the how and when and the how many times from the weekend. Next to her Nick took over. “just this weekend. We… met up at the farmers market her family stall was at and… ended up… kissing.”

Clawhauser’s eyes widened a bit. “kissed? You two kissed?”

Judy nodded.  _ Did A LOT more than just kiss.  _ She felt her face heat up from her own internal thought. Frufru was still looking between them. “b-but… Judy… you're… and hes… I mean no offense Nick but… how…”

Frufru's voice trailed off as Clawhauser looked at her. “not everyone is a traditionalist FruFru if they wanna be together then I support them.”

The small arctic shrew shook her head. "I'm not saying I don't. I just… they are VERY… different.”

Nick nodded. “yeah, we are. But… that works for us. Look… i'm not saying everything will be sunshine and rainbows… but…” he looked sideways at Judy. "I gave up on finding anyone who makes me feel like she does. So… i'm gonna enjoy this… for as long as I can.”

She bit her lip at his last few words, at the implication in them. She knew what he was really saying, even if the others didn't know. Clawhauser grinned at them. “well I think it's great. And of course, we'll keep it to ourselves. WON'T we FruFru?” 

At the slightly firmer tone FruFru nodded. “y-yeah. Of course. Uh… what about… does Jack know?”

That made him and her look at each other. It was Judy who spoke first. “um… no he doesn't. We um… we haven't decided if we wanna tell him.”

This time Clawhauser and FruFru looked at each other. After a few seconds Clawhauser spoke. “ok. We'll not tell him either.” the leopard looked between Nick and Judy. “you two do make a cute couple.”

Judy felt her face heat up again. And a quick glance to Nick told her the fox was a little embarrassed too. His ears having flicked to the side with a small smile covering his face. For a moment their eyes connected, the sudden urge to lean over and kiss her boyfriend welling up in Judy's stomach. For a moment she seriously considered it. It would have been so easy, she could just lean over and press her lips to his. Screw everyone else in the room. Screw whatever they might think. She was his girlfriend and he was her boyfriend. It should be as simple as that. It should be… But it wasn't. She knew it. Her feelings were not the only ones that mattered. Nick's did too, and if for now Nick wanted to keep things quiet… that was his choice. 

Glancing at her phone Judy found almost half their lunch hour had gone. Biting her lip she looked to Nick. She wanted to stay here, to keep talking to her friends but…

Nick seemed to know what she was thinking. “go on carrots. I'll see you in english.”

She smiled at him. “ok. See you soon.”

Leaving the cafeteria she made her way quickly down the hall, passing by students who had wandered out of the lunchroom as she made her way to the library. As she moved through the hallways she wondered what Jack would have to say. Would the young buck apologize to her? Maybe he'd be mad at how she'd acted? Or maybe he'd pretend like nothing happened? She did miss him. It was impossible for her not too. He was her oldest friend. Even if she was mad at him it was odd not seeing him for so long. Turning the corner in the hallway she approached the library finding Jack waiting for her, sitting against the wall of the library entrance reading a book. As she neared him she spoke, letting him know she was there. “Hello Jack.”

He looked up at her. Perhaps she was mistaken. But for a moment it looked like he was surprised she'd actually shown up. But it was only for a moment before he smiled pleasantly at her. “hello Judy. I'm glad you came.” 

She came to a stop in front of him, watching as he put his book away before getting to his feet. He hadn't changed, his fur was still groomed the same way, his stripes still in the same pattern. “how have you been?” it was the first question that came to her. Perhaps a tad bit formal or causal given what had happened, but still an appropriate question. A good way to break the ice after not having talked for several months now. 

He shrugged. "I've been ok. Look… I wanted to apologize to you. What you said… before… about me trying to trick you into a date… you were right. It was wrong of me. I… i'm sorry.”

She smiled weakly. “thank you Jack.”

He smiled back at her. "I just… I like you… but I didn't know how to find out if you liked me… without making things uncomfortable… and… I guess I ended up doing that anyways. So… i'm sorry.”

She smiled again, a bit stronger this time. “I forgive you Jack.”

For a few moments they stood in a kind of awkward silence, as if they were both waiting for the other the speak. Then, “What about you?”

She blinked at him. “me?”

He nodded. “yes, isn't there something you'd like to apologize for?”

She bit her lip, fidgeting slightly. "I… yeah…. I'm sorry I slapped you. It was… uncalled for.”

Jack smiled and nodded. "I forgive you Judy. I get it. You've always been a kind person. You always look for the good in people. Sometimes you just twist yourself to much to do it.”

She blinked at his words. They sounded like s complement and yet…

“what do you mean?”

Jack shook his head. “oh no. I didn't mean it as a bad thing. I just meant that not everyone deserves that kindness from you. Sometimes people are what they seem like.” 

Now she was frowning at him. That hadn't sounded like a compliment.  “and what does that mean?” even as she spoke the word her brain was working. He wasn't meaning…

Across from her Jack shifted now. Clearly trying to be delicate with his words.  "I just mean… not everyone need to be defended. Sometimes a person just… is what they seem to be. So you can take what they say or do at face value.”

Her eyes narrowed. Was he really…

Her voice came out cold now. “Jack, Just fucking spit it out. What the fuck are you talking about?”  _ maybe Nick really is rubbing off on me. _

Jack's eyes widened at her words. “you swore.” 

She glared at him. “no shit sherlock. I do that sometimes. Now what the fuck are you talking about? Sometimes a person is just what they seem? What the does that mean?” He was visibly uncomfortable now. Shifting nervously from leg to let in front of her as he took an abnormally long time to think. She remained silent, her eyes narrowed in an almost daring glare. He didn't… he couldn't mean… could he?

"I just mean… you don't always have to defend someone or look for an alternate meaning in this actions. Sometimes what people do is just… what they want.”

She was starting to feel the fur on the back of her neck prickle with anger. He was… he WAS talking about-

“Jack,” she did her best to keep her voice calm. Until he said it, she couldn't know for sure if he meant; “are you talking about Nick?”

Again Jack squirmed, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going in. "I… uh… have you seen… wilde rec-”

She cut him off. “yeah. I spent the weekend at his house fucking our brains out.”

She watched as his eyes bulged;  his face contorting in an express of first shock, then disgust, then confusion and then… anger.

“Judy. That's not funny.”

She could feel her anger starting to rise in her stomach. “what if I didn't say it to be funny? What if I meant it?” she was goading him. Maneuvering him into a corner where he would either confirm her suspicions or-

“JUDY.” now his voice contained anger in it. “that's NOT funny. Wilde could be dangerous. Who knows what he Would do if-”

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME JACK?!”

Her voice echoed around the hallway, making several students pause and look at them. She didn't care. Her anger was bubbling again. Making her skin itch and burn as she glared at him. Was he for real? She watched as his eyes narrowed at her now. “stop swearing Judy. And don't shout. Its not-”

She growled at him, taking a step forward to poke him in the chest. “Don't. Tell. Me. What. To. Do. EVER.”

There was no mistaking the look of anger on his face now as he pushed her hand away from his chest. “why are you getting mad? I'm just looking out for you.”

She rolled her eyes. “No, you're not. You just don't like Nick because he's a fox. You're just racist like Jill.” she moved to turn away, only to pause and look back at him. “You know something Jack, he heard me yell at you that day. He knew what you said about him. And he still told me I should meet with you today to try and patch things up. If he's some nasty conniving fox then he's doing a shitty job of it, because he is nothing but caring and kind. So… so just fuck off… don't speak to me anymore. If you can't accept that i'm friends with Nick… that I like him, then you and I can't be friends anymore. Goodbye.”

She turned and started to walk away. She was done. She'd hoped that he had changed, that maybe he would have grown up a bit. But-

“HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? HOW CAN YOU THROW AWAY OUR HISTORY FOR SOME FOX?!”

he was following her, his voice echoing down the hallway at her. She turned, her anger starting to bubble again. “how can you be so closed minded? You were around him for weeks, did he ever do anything sneaky? Did he ever cheat or steal or tell you a lie? I was there, he didn't. But you still don't trust him. And I don't understand why. But if thats the real Jack savage, someone who judges others by their species and not their actions… then you and I have nothing to talk about.”

She kept walking away, doing her best to leave him behind. In truth she was hurting right now. Her chest felt like it was in a vice and she was doing all she could to keep tears from forming in her eyes. He was her oldest friend. They had such history and memories together. But now he'd tainted it. She couldn't stand it any mo-

She felt him grab her wrist spinning her around to look at him. He'd gotten in close, practically inches away from her. A look of anger covered his face and for a moment… she felt fear. “Stop walking away from me Judy! I'm just trying to protect you! I like you, I don't want you to get hurt by him or anything.” She tried to take a step back, but his grip on her wrist kept her in place. She'd never seen this side of him before. His grip on her wrist was tight, almost painful actually. His face was twisted with anger and he had moved in even closer, crowding her. “I just want you to be safe Judy. I care about you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. But I don't trust wilde. I worry he'll try to hurt you i-”

“seems like right now you're the one that is threatening that.”

The sound of Nick's voice made her look away from Jack. Her fox was standing a small ways away, looking at them while Clawhauser and FruFru stood slightly behind him, both of them clearly looking uncomfortable. He was leaning casually against the lockers but Judy could see the tension in Nick's shoulder and tail. Jack snarled at him. “this doesn't concern you fox!”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “funny, cause it sure looks like you're trying to intimidate one of my friends. So yes, I think it very much DOES concern me Jack.” She could hear the forced calm in Nick's voice. 

Jack let her wrist go, but kept glaring at Nick. “YOUR friend? I've been her friend since we were six!”

Nick cocked his head. “so? That doesn't give you the right to manhandle her. So back off Jack…” Nick shifted, straightening up while a slight hint of aggression crept into his voice. “or i'll make you back off.”

This time Jack's face twisted into a smirk. “oh really? And just wha-”

She could see what was going to happen. If things kept going the way they were Nick and Jack would end up in a scuffle here in the middle of the hall. That was a surefire way for them to get after school detention. And with Nick having to pick up Finnick up after school  detention would be bad. “enough!”

Angrily she moved away from Jack and towards Nick. As she did so she spoke over her shoulder to her once friend. “we're done Jack. Nick is my friend, if you can't accept that then we can't hangout anymore. Goodbye.”

As she passed Nick she grabbed his arm, pulling him along with her. The bell signalling the end of lunch cutoff anything Jack might have said. 

 

\---------

 

“hey… you ok?”

They were walking out of the last class of the day. Next to her Nick was looking at her as they moved down the hallway. She sighed softly. Was she ok? Even if she had meant what she said, she still felt bad. Losing Jack as a friend was tough. It had to be done. But it was still tough. "I… yeah.” Next to her Nick was silent for several moments as she undid the lock on her locker and began tossing her books inside.

"I'm sorry I cost you a friend.”

His words made her pause, turning to look at him. His ears were flat against his head, his gaze was down at the floor and she could see his tail drooping. “why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong.”

He didn't look at her when he responded. “I… just… i'm sorry.”

She sighed at him. “Nick. It's not your fault. Its his. He's the asshole.”

His eyes looked up at hers. “can… can I make it up to you?”

She raised an eyebrow. “oh? And how would you do that?”

Nick smiled slyly. “how about Mexican food this Wednesday?”

She blinked playfully at him, smiling at him. “Nick Wilde, are you asking me on a date?”

She watched as he squirmed a bit under her gaze. Whether on purpose or as part of an act, she didn't know. "I… uh… yeah…” he looked up at her sheepishly smiling. "I guess I am.”

She smiled wider at him. “I’d like that.”

He smiled wider, his tail perking up and wagging a bit. “really? Would… 7:30 work?”

She nodded. “sounds great.”

He was grinning now, all traces of the previous sadness had vanished from his body. Now he looked happy, actually he looked almost giddy with excitement. His ears had perked up and his tail was wagging in a quick rhythm. She couldn't help but giggle slightly at how he looked now, like something out of a cartoon. 

They parted ways quickly after that, with her rushing off to catch her train home and him rushing off to pick up Finnick from his school. The whole train ride home she felt oddly excited. She'd never actual been on s real date, one she had agreed to. Once or twice her phone buzzed, her heart skipping a beat thinking it might be Nick. But then dropping as she found it was Jack. The third time it happened she blocked him. A feeling of smug satisfaction filling her as she imagined his phone telling him he'd been blocked. Next to her Tomas raised an eyebrow. “what's up with you?”

She looked at him. “huh?”

Tomas shrugged. “you seem all over the place. Happy one moment then annoyed the next. Whats up?”

She bit her lip, wondering how much to tell him. He'd been supporting of Nick… but…

_ Oh it's nothing. Your sister just had sex for the first time. Now she has a boyfriend dying of cancer. She lost her oldest friend today and she's giddy about a date she's going on soon.  _ "Its nothing.”

She felt her face flush a little with heat. She'd not mentioned what had happened that night between her and Nick. No she probably wouldn't tell anyone ever about that. Not that she was ashamed of it. No… it was cause it was so intimate, so personal. If she was honest… it was probably the best moment of her life. She couldn't describe what that night had meant to her. How the closeness, the intimacy; how it had touched her in a way she'd never felt before. How she'd felt closer to him than anyone ever before. Every kiss, every touch ever gasp and pant seemed to be seared into her brain. She could recall it all with perfect clarity. It had been… perfect. And yet, She felt a small cold stone in her stomach as she recalled what else she’d learned that night. He was dying. 

That night at dinner she was again silent, half mindedly pushing the Spanish casserole around her plate while her brothers and sister stuffed themselves. He was dying. He was DYING. Nick Wilde had cancer and was dying. It made her stomach lurch sickeningly. So much so that she found her desire for food vanished. Without asking to be excused she grabbed her plate, leaving the dining room before dropping her plate into the sink. She could feel her family staring at her as she left the dining room. She barely paid attention to what she was doing as she moved down the hallway and to her room. Closing the door behind her she dropped onto her bed, sighing as she grabbed a pillow and pulled it against her chest. She wanted him there, to hug him and be close. 

She felt her face heat up as she remembered how it had felt to have him next to her. He'd been so warm and soft. It had been heavenly to lay next to him, half pressed against him she'd felt so… loved and-

“Judy?”

The sound of the voice made her look up from where she'd been pressing her face into the pillow, remembering Nick's strong warm chest and wishing she could press her face against that again. Sitting up she spoke uncertainly. “c-come in.”

She watched as the door opened and Tomas appeared in the doorway. “can I come in?”

She nodded. “s-sure.”

He smiled and moved into the room, closing the door behind him. He paused for a moment, looking around her room. It occurred to her how long it had been since he'd been in her room. When she'd been younger he'd come in a few times. Mostly to wake her up when she'd overslept. Or to help take care of her when she was sick. And once or twice to help calm her down when she'd been scared or upset. But that had been years ago. After a moment he spoke. “no more posters of unicorns and rainbows?”

She chuckled but shook her head. “no. Not for a few years now.”

He pouted dramatically. “awww. I liked them. They were cute.  Mind if I sit?” As he spoke he gestured to the bed. She nodded, remaining silent as he moved and sat on the edge of her bed. After a few moments he spoke.  “so, what's gotten into you?”

She blinked at him, momentarily confused. “huh?”

He shrugged. “you and the boy you like. Something happened. You were gone all night the day of the market. And you've been all happy and perky since then. Except for tonight. So what happened? And skip the sex stuff. I don't need to know what kinda stuff my sister is into.”

For a full 10 seconds her brain froze, struggling to make sense of what he'd sa-

“what? How did you know we had sex?!”

Her voice came out louder than expected, the words springing forward without thought as she felt her face begin to burn. Tomas looked at her, a slightly amused smile on his face. “cause i'm not an idiot Judy. And neither is mom and dad. You were all upset over a boy. Mom told you to go talk to him. Then you were gone the entire night. And when you got back you had this goofy little smile you were trying to hide, and this little bounce and sway in your step. You had sex.”

She sat there frozen, his words making her face and ears burn and itch with embarrassment. After several painfully long seconds she spoke. "I… uh… I…”

Tomas spoke softly. “start with the day after.”

She swallowed nervously. "I… we… decided… we wanted to try… and be together… as a… couple.”

Tomas nodded. "I figured as much. So…. You…. And a fox….”

She blushed but nodded. “y-yeah.”

Tomas remained silent for a moment. "Is he a good person?”

The question startled her, making her look at him sideways. “huh?”

He looked at her, his expression protective. “do you like him because he's  a good person? Or is this just a rebellion thing? Cause he's a fox and you're not?”

She smiled at his brotherly concern. “he's a good person. He… he's a really good person. Kind and caring… and… so loving.” she smiled at her own words, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were true. After everything he'd been through she could completely justify him being a mean, angry snarling bastard mad at the world. And yet… he wasn't… not anymore at least. Now… gods he was so full of love. SO full of it. She wasn't sure she'd ever met anyone like him before. Someone who could go through so much abuse and loss and still love others as much as he did.

“so then why the sudden mood change?”

She blinked at him, her wistful dreams of Nick imploding. Now…

She shifted, looking at the mattress they were sitting on. How much should she tell him? Telling him about Nick's cancer was out, she'd promised not to tell anyone. Which left…

"I… told my friends about me and Nick today.” Tomas remained quiet, listening as she spoke. “FruFru and Clawhauser were ok with it. But… Jack… he didn't take it very well. We're… not friends anymore.”

It wasn't a lie. Not technically. She was bending the truth for sure. But… not it a way that was a lie. Next to her Tomas nodded and sighed. “that makes sense. He's been crushing on you pretty hard for a while now.”

She looked at him. “wha? You knew?”

Tomas nodded. “yup. Pretty obvious. Called me a few times, asking if you and I wanted to go do something together. Always said your name first though. Pretty obvious he was more interested in you. Just another reason why I don't like him.”

Again she blinked at her older brother. “huh? Wait, you don't like Jack?”

Tomas shook his head. “nope. Never liked him.”

She frowned. “why not?”

Tomas shrugged. “at first it was just this rotten feeling around him. Later on I figured out it was cause his kind of people bothered me. They've got their whole life planned out. Where they're gonna go to school, who they're gonna marry, What they're gonna do for a job. And if something disrupts that, they get angry. Then blame others for that anger.”

She looked at him surprised. “why didn't you say anything before?”

Again Tomas shrugged. “cause you seemed to be ok with him. And he is… was YOUR friend. Not mine. So I kept it to myself and just made it clear I didn't wanna hang out with him.” her brother shifted now, looking at her sideways. “But now… I wanna give you a heads up. I've seen what happens when people like him don't get what they want. It's not pretty.”

Judy felt the fur on the back of her neck prickle. “not pretty… how?”

Tomas shook his head. “can't say for sure. He might just snap one day and start yelling in public. Or… he might do worse. Just be careful. You AND your new boyfriend. And if he does anything really bad tell me. I'll go beat his ass and force feed him his own tail.”

She shifted a little, now worrying about what he'd said. Still, she smiled at Tomas. “thank you Tomas.”

He smiled at her. “of course. Like I said before, you ever need help then i'm there for you. Just gotta ask.”

She smiled again and he smiled back. A short time later Tomas left, leaving Judy once again alone with her thoughts. Now sitting on her bed alone Judy could not help but wonder. Everything was changing for her. She'd broken up with one of her closest friends. She had a boyfriend now, and he was a fox to boot. A fox… who had been through so much and as a reward had been given cancer. Yet even then… he seemed to have accepted it. Mwde peace with it even  But… could she? Could she really just let him go when the time came, without at least trying to save him? She knew death was inevitable, that someday everyone would die. but… people survived cancer everyday. It wasn't a death sentence. Maybe…

Slowly she moved, pulling her laptop into her lap and powering it on. It couldn't hurt to look, right? If she found something, maybe she could bring it to Nick, maybe he'd use it, and maybe… just maybe…


	10. Enough Is Enough

Night time in the Hopps home was a surprisingly quiet affair. So the sound of the doorbell ringing made Judy’s ears flicker and perk up.  _ Who could that be? _ It was an honest question. Normally no one came to the house after 7pm. The produce stand her family worked in front of their house was closed, all of her siblings were inside and doing homework or eating or bathing, both her parents were relaxing and probably watching tv. So….

She glanced at the small clock on her nightstand. She still have 20 minutes before she had to leave to go on her date with Nick. She’d hoped to maybe start a bit of the Econ homework shed been given. She could hear movement from the living room, the sound of the front door opening and voices talking.  _ Probably just one of dad’s associates. Come on, back to work.  _ She turned her attention back to her homework, reviewing the problem she’d been staring at for the last 10 minutes. She was supposed to be explained how supply and demand drove an economy; but she found she honestly couldn't care less. She was to nervous and anxious for her upcoming date. She’d told her mom about it, and in turn her father had given her mission to go with the condition that she be back before 10pm. As her father had said this he’d given her a stern look, making it clear he was not joking. She’d squirmed a little at that, remembering what Tomas had said about Mom and Dad not being idiots; if her brother had figured out that she’d had se-

“JUDY IT’S FOR YOU!”

She blinked, looking up from her homework.  _ For me? But who…. _

She stepped out of her room, moving down the hallway and towards the living room. She could hear the voices more clearly now. The sound of her father’s voice talking sternly with…. Nick? Stepping into the living room Judy felt her eyes widen. Nick Wilde was standing in her living room, talking with her father and…  _ damn he looks good.  _ It was true. He’d styled his fur a bit, making it appear glossy and a bit more full than it normally did at school. He’d put on a pair of nice khaki pants and a simple but nice looking blue button up shirt with a collar. Her eyes widened a bit further as she found he’d even gone a step beyond, wearing a green tie. 

“Hey Judy. I… uh… These are for you.”

A moment later he produced a small bouquet of flowers from behind his back, holding it out for her. As he did so a sheepish half nervous smile spread across his face. She stood there stunned, blinking at him for several seconds. She hadn't expected this. At school that day they’d said they’d meet at the restaurant, that it was a mostly casual place and they'd ben fine wearing just normal clothes. But… he’d dressed up. He’d come to pick her up. He brought her flowers and….

It was her mother's voice that snapped her out of her reverie. "Isn’t that nice Judy?”

She blinked, shaken from her thoughts as she nodded perhaps a little faster than was warranted. “Y-yes! Yes, it… yes it is. I…” she took the flowers from him, feeling her face prickle and tingle as their hands brushed against each others. Across from her that goofy half nervous grin was still covering Nick’s face. It reminded her of… to hide her blush at the memory she brought the flowers to her nose, inhaling their sweet aroma. “T-thank you.” she was trying to hide her face, her lips had formed an impossibly big smile and her heart had sped up a bit. 

He kept smiling at her, that dorky smile that made her blush. “y-your welcome. I'm glad you l-like them.”

She brought the flowers to her nose again, the smells filling her lungs. As she did so her mother spoke. “not that i'm not happy to finally meet you Nick… but Judy said your date was at 7:30 and that you were meeting her there.”

He nodded, turning to look at Judy's mother. "It is, and I was. But… i…” he squirmed a little under everyone's gaze. "I wanted to… say hello… properly. To introduce myself and… make a good impression…”

As he spoke Nick smiled sheepishly at Judy's mom and dad. Nervously he watched as they looked at each other before smiling at him. “well then, id say you're off to a good start Nick.”  

He watched as Judy's mother offered him her paw which he shook. "I'm Bonnie and you already met stu. right?” He nodded, reaching out to shake stu's paw as well. As he did so Bonnie looked to Judy. 

“well Judy. I think you should go get ready. You don't wanna keep this fine gentlemammal waiting. Do you?”

She blinked, shaking her head. “N-no. I'll be right back.”

Nick smiled at her and for a moment she felt her heart flutter again. She quickly turned away, keeping the flowers he'd given her near her nose as she moved back down the hallway and-

“so, your dating that  **fox** now?”

The tone of disgust was plain as day, and the look Jill was also pretty obvious too. It made anger bubble in her stomach. Had Jill always been such a bitch? But she was in to good a mood to care. She just smiled at her sister, making a show to take another deep sniff from the flowers he'd given her as she passed by. She sprinted to her room. Quickly closing the door and pulling open her closet. Shed planned to wear just some jeans and tshirt, maybe a jacket, but now…

She felt her heart skip a beat, he'd dressed up, even styled his fur. He looked… handsome. She rifled through her closed. Her original clothes we out. She wanted to dress up like he had, to impress him and make his heart flutter too. She tore through her closet, pulling her clothes back as she searched for it. Once, last year she'd casually mentioned that she didn't own any dresses other than sundresses. To her that wasn't a big deal. She never went anywhere super formal, and the few special events she went to were usually family occasions so she could get away with a simpler outfit because everyone else was too. To frufru, this had been a crime. The shrew had practically kidnapped her after school that day, dragging her to the mall and making her shop at a dozen stores where things we so expensive she was fairly sure she couldn't even afford to breathe the air in them. She been uncomfortable, but at the shrew's insistence she’d looked around and eventually she'd found a few dresses she liked. Of course that had changed when she'd seen the prices on them but the shrew had laughed and handed over her credit card, telling her a good dress was like a favor. You just hung onto it until you needed to cash it in, well now she needed it.

A short time later she left her room, hurrying back to the living room.  Jill was still standing in the hallway, looking at Nick from the shadows with a look of annoyance covering her face. feeling her anger flare up again Judy hissed at her sister as she past. “keep staring Jill and i'll think your jealous.”

She grinned at her sister’s glare of anger, sticking her tongue out before stepping into the living room. “Ok. i'm ready.”

She watched as Nick turned to look at her, her parents to. For a moment there was silence in the room as she felt Nick’s eyes scan her, widening slightly as they took in the deep maroon colored dress she had on. It’s wasn't the sexiest dress frufru had bought her. But it was certainly nicer than anything she’d ever worn before, the collar was a simple V stype, giving just the faintest tease of her chest. The shoulders were elongated slightly, about the length of a short sleeve shirt. But what had really drown her eyes to the dress while they'd been in the story was it’s length. It wasn't a ‘short’ dress, but it was still shorter than the ones she normally wore. As the dress extended downwards the colors changed, going from the maroon color, to red, to orange before coming to a stop just a bit above the knee.

“You… you….” she smiled slightly as she watched Nick struggle for words. After a few moments he managed to stammer out. “b-bea-beautiful.” 

His brain was struggling. Trying to drink in and memorize every single detail of this moment. In the market in her sundress, he'd thought she was beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful mammal he'd ever seen. Now though… there were no words… she was gorgeous… an angel from heaven… 

_ And she likes. Me, ME. _

He blinked, his brain still struggling to understand the array of emotions be was feeling. Even as she neared him, his nose twitched the smell of some flowery vaguely citrus scent only adding to her beauty. She was beautiful, gorgeous, radiant… she was… she was

“come on slick. Lets go.”

He nodded, unable to speak or take his eyes off her as she bid goodbye to her parents and pulled him from the home.

 

\--------

 

“y-y-you lo-look… beautiful.”

Gods he was starting to sound like a broken record. Not that he could stop if he wanted to. Around them couple ate dinner, the soft beat of spanish music filling the air with a certain level of ambiance as several waiters made their way through the patrons. They'd been seated quickly, a result of him having called a head and placing a reservation. Now they were waiting, having just placed their order with their waiter a tan desert mouse who had smiled and scampered off to the kitchen. He watched as she smiled at the compliment, the same compliment he'd been stuttering out for the last half hour.  “thanks. You look great too.”

_ Ok, enough. Talk about something else. Talk ab- _

“so, if you're here. Where's Finnick?”

Yes! He grabbed at the subject of his little brother. “he's at another sleepover.”

Judy smiled. “another? He must make friends fast.”

Nick nodded, a warm smile covering his face. “he does. It's really good. I'm so glad he is always so happy.”

Across from him Judy kept smiling. “so if we went back to your place we'd have it all to ourselves?”

He could tell by her tone she was trying to be funny. Probably hoping he'd start blushing and sputtering and get all embarrassed. He felt his tail prickle slightly.  _ Thinking you can outfox a fox huh carrots?  _ He leaned forward, allowing s casual kind of smirk to spread across his face. “why yes ms Hopps. We'd be VERY much alone. No one to disturb us of interrupt anything we chose to do.” as he spoke his tail flicked under the table, brushing against her leg teasingly. He watched as her eyes widened, surely surprised that he hadn't been embarrassed. 

Now it was her to turn to narrow her eyes, a seductive look emanating from her eyes. Even as he spoke he found himself pulled to her, the look making his heartbeat a little faster while he felt a stirring in his hips. “Mmmm. Very good. Then let's hurry through dinner.”

He bit his lip. He could see the challenge in her eyes. She knew that he knew that she was trying to play him. And he knew that she knew that he knew that she knew he was trying to play her. He smirked at her. "If you're that anxious we could get it to go. Eat at my place… i've never had spanish rice ala rabbit before. I bet it tastes,” he grinned, showing his teeth as widely as he could. “delicious when it has your special…. Juice with it.”

His smirk deepened, noting the way her eyes had widened as her nose twitched. The way here ears flicked sideways and down was adorable, a sign his words had caused her deep emba-

“well I'm sure it would taste as good as it would feel to have a nice big HOT serving of fox meat inside me.”

His whiskers flared at her words. His heart again quickened and suddenly he shifted a little as he felt a certain part of himself start to react. She was smirking at him. An arrogant, annoying infuriating smirk, that made his tail bristle and twitch.  _ Oh bunbun… you are playing with fire now. _

He leaned in, his eyes narrowing as his tail returned to her leg, drifting upwards towards her thigh. “then again. Why wait for such a good thing? Maybe I'll take my rabbit now. RIGHT NOW on the table in front of everyone.” as he spoke he licked his lips. This was it, the ‘kill’. There was no wa-

She matched his smirk. “well,” suddenly he jumped as he felt her foot press gently between his legs, her toes rubbing softly against his just starting to emerge sheath. “only if you think you can handle it foxy.”

His eyes widened, his breath left his lungs in a sharp exhale and he could not help but grip the table a little tighter as he tried to suppress a soft moan. His mind scrambled. Part of him trying to keep his cool. another part of him was frantically trying to keep his body from reacting more than he already was. And the last part of him-

Across from him Judy grinned wider. "I win.”

He bit his lip. frantically trying to think of a comeback. Some way to keep the game go-

“nnnnnn!” 

He moaned softly through his teeth. Judy's toes again rubbing and flexing along his length. Across from him Judy was still grinning. “say it.”

His tail lashed angrily from side to side. Part of him was angry at being outfoxed. Another part of him was dimly impressed; impressed and turned on. After a few moments he grumbled. “fine. You win… this round.”

Judy smirked. “now. what do I get for winning?”

As she spoke Judy's foot left him. His foxhood throbbed angrily at the loss of contact. He bit his lip again, willing his arousal to dye down before speaking. “w-well… what do you want?”

Judy shrugged, taking a drink of the carrot soda she'd ordered. "I don't know.”

For a moment they both stared at each other. Both of them trying to gauge how the other would react. There was  some kind of energy between them now. Some kind of built up spark from the flirting and teasing. His heart was beating a little faster, his fur was prickled slightly and his tail was twitching from side to side anxiously. A second later he started laughing, starting as a soft chuckle that quickly grew until it was enough to make him shake the table slightly. Across from him Judy's smirk changed. Becoming an amused smile before she too started laughing with him. The laughter didn't last to long, but it was long enough to make the crackling tensing energy between them vanish. As it died away Nick took his own sip from his drink. After a.moment he spoke. “so, how have you been?”

It was as simple as that. Suddenly he was no longer on a date with ‘Judy Hopps his girlfriend who was impossibly beautiful and knew his secret’. Instead he was out to dinner with just ‘Judy Hopps’.

She shrugged at his question. "I've been ok. Econ homework is killing me. And I have to do an essay for world studies. You?”

Nick took another drink. “econ is ok. English is killing me. Damn Hemingway.” He watched as she shifted a little, giving him a look he wasn't so sure of. “what?”

She lowered her voice a little. "I… um….how have you BEEN? You know…”

Her voice trailed off as she spoke. She wasn't exactly sure how to ask what she was meaning. She couldn't exactly ask him. “so how's your cancer?”

Across from her she watched as he sighed softly, leaning back in his seat. "I've been… ok. I've been kinda tired lately. Sometimes it's really hard to take care of Finnick when all I want to do is sleep. But i'll manage, I always do.”

Judy looked at him sadly. "Is… is there anything I can do? Ma-maybe I could...”

Her voice trailed off as Nick leaned forward, his hands going to hers, gently cupping and squeezing them. “Judy, you don't have to do anything. I appreciate the thought but, it's not needed. I promise.” She bit her lip. She wanted to believe him, to believe that he would be ok. But even as he spoke her eyes scanned his face. How much of this was an act? How much of this was him pretending? How tired was he? Would he rather be home sleeping right now? “Judy…” his voice pulled her from her thoughts, making her look at him. Across from him he was smiling at her. “listen… i'm ok. I promise. I told Finnick we'd be staying at the house this weekend. I can spend the whole weekend resting and then i'll be all better by monday. Ok?”

She bit her lip again. After a few moments she spoke. "I’m here for you Nick if you need it. I want to help. Ok?”

She watched as he nodded. "I… I understand. Thank you.”

The moment stretched, their eyes remaining connected. She felt her heart clench slightly as she looked at him. He was so sweet. To have gone through everything and still be this kind and loving. "I love you.”

 

\-------

 

“gods that place was amazing!” it was the truth.  Shed had good spanish food before, or at least she thought she had. But now she knew different. The food had been steaming hot, an assault of beautiful aromas and spice that had made her mouth water as the waiter had placed it before her. It had tasted even better than it smelled. the first bite had been enough to make her see stars, the second had made her tail twitch with excitement and the third… well she honestly couldn't remember anything after the second bite. Her memories just becoming a haze of delicious food. She'd practically inhaled the food, feeling slightly weak after shed cleaned her plate. Gods everything had been soooo good.

Next to her Nick chuckled. “glad you liked it carrots.”

She grinned at him. “like it? I LOVED IT!”

Nick's face split into a wide grin. “then we'll go back again really soon. I promise.”

They were walking along the road now, heading back to her house. The sun had set, leaving the sky darkened and black with only the stars and moon shining down. The train station had been almost deserted when they'd arrived, save for a few nocturnal mammals going about their lives. She'd moved a little closer to Nick. Her eyes not nearly as good as his at night. He'd seem to understand what she was doing, his paw slipping into hers, their fingers intertwining. She couldn't help but smile at that. A faint twitching at the ends of her mouth as butterflies rippled in her stomach. "I… I had fun. Thank you for tonight Nick.”

Next to him Nick grinned. "I'm glad. It's been a long time since I did anything like this.”

She looked sideways at him. “have you ever gone on a date before?”

Nick shook his head. “nope. I never really had the desire before. I kept myself isolated in the past. That way no one would find out about my situation.”

Now she looked at him. “so you've been alone this whole time? Just you and Finnick?”

Nick nodded. “yeah, for the last three years. Finnick made friends of course, but I was mostly alone. Certainly never let anyone meet Finnick. Had to move once or twice cause child services almost found us. So… dating would have been a distraction.”

She blinked at him. “so… why did you let me?”

Nick squeezed her hand softly. “honestly? I don't know. I thought about ditching you at the gas station actually. Bu- ah hey!”

She'd frowned, punching him firmly but not painfully in the arm. “you jerk! You tried to ditch me?!”

Her voice was raised but not angry, more of a mock anger than the real thing. He grinned, letting her pummel him for a moment before continuing. “but I didn't.”

They were at her driveway now, in front of them the tree Judy's home was built into, loomed. She could see several windows illuminated meaning that some of her siblings were still awake, no doubt her parents were to.

“Judy,” next to her Nick had stopped walking and was now looking down at her. She watched as he moved, kneeling down so he was level with her. “you're the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I'm so… blessed, to have you with me.”

She bit her lip, trying to maintain her mock anger. He was smiling at her, a warm smile that made her squirm slightly. A second later he reached out, his paw cupping the side of her head in a tender touch. Unconsciously she leaned into the touch a bit, loving the warmth of his paw. “do you promise?”

His response was to lean in, gently pressing their lips together in a sweet kiss. The kiss stole her breath away. Her nostrils flared as his scent filled her lungs, making her tail twitch and paws come up to his chest. gently they ran up Nick's chest before running along his shoulders, earning her a small groan as they moved. A faint breeze kicked up around them, making Judy shudder and step in closer to the warm body in front of her. The kiss deepened as she pressed back against him, her heart speeding up a bit as he groaned again softly. When they broke apart she groaned her grip on his shoulders tightening before pulling back into the kiss. Her tongue came out, running along his perfect lips which parted as if she'd said the magic words. A shudder rippled through her, her hair standing on end as the kiss became hungrier, more wanting. His hands were moving now too, the other coming up to cup her other cheek befor-

“NNNNAA.”

her head snapped back, her eyes widening as an almost painfully moaning moan escaped her lips. His hands had drifting back to her ears. the feeling of his hard sharp claws scratching at their base sending ripples of want through her. In front of her Nick grinned, repeating the touch making her moan again. A moment later he leaned, his lips curling back to- 

“NNNNNAAAA!”

A fire sprang to life in her stomach, the feeling of his claws lazily running down her ear accompanied by the feeling of his nose against her neck making her legs shake. She felt him chuckle and whisper into her other ear. “that's for at the restaurant.” She opened her mouth to speak, only for the words to melt away as Nicks claws reached the end of her ear, firmly pinching the tip making her gasp and shudder as the pressure grew until it was making her toes curl. He was smirking at her. “say it Judy.” as he spoke he tugged her ear gently, making her breath explode from her chest in a wanting gasp. 

“y-y-you w-win!”

His grin grew. “good. and I know just what I want.” suddenly vanished and her ear slipped free. Gods she was panting now, the flame inside her roaring for more, for him to continue. She held her grip on his shirt, using it to steady herself for a moment. But the world fell away a second later as he felt him press in against her, the feeling of his teeth running against the ruff of her neck. There was no stopping it, no denying it, no hiding the decadent and forbidden and completely perverse ripple and moan of want that shook her entire body. Gods she felt like she was going to expose. Every nerve and fiber in her body was screaming in a mixture of want, need and ancestral fear as his teeth brushed against her neck. For a moment she considered shoving him to the ground and taking him right then and there on the lawn. Fuck what her family would think or say. Hell they could watch for all she cared at that moment. But a second later his teeth vanished, a gasping whimpering moan slipping from her as he pulled back, grinning evilly at her.

“until next time my cute little bunny rabbit.”

She bit her lip, willing herself to calm down as the flame inside her roared angrily. “y-y-your evil Nick wilde.”

He grinned at you. “but you love it.”

She smirked at him, an expression slightly undermined by her blush. “Do i? Yes, yes I do.”

As she spoke movement in one of the windows caught her attention, the quick flicker of someone stepping away. He walked her to the door, giving her a much more gentlemammal like kiss on the cheek before bidding her goodnight. she opened the front door, stepping inside before closing the door and leaning back against it for a moment as her eyes drifted closed. Her first date…

A smile spread across her face, a feeling of giddiness spreading with it. As odd as it seemed, this made everything more real. They'd slept together and they'd said they were boyfriend and girlf. yet somehow, tonight had made it seem real. Like it wasn't just some flight of fancy or passing-

“you reek of him.” the sound of her sister's disgusted voice making her blink as she found Jill standing before her. She watched as Jill sniffed the air, her face wrinkling in disgust a second later.

Again she blinked, staring at her sister for a moment before responding. As she did so the smile was still covering her face. "I don't know what your talking about.”

Jill snarled. “lier. I saw you two, you were practically rutting in the yard. The way he put his paws on you… it's DISGUSTING. And you… just… letting him…”

Judy huffed annoyed. “you know Jill, for someone who says she hates foxes, you sure do spend a lot of your time spying on MY fox.”

She moved passed her sister, smiling smuggling as Jill's eyes bulged slightly. She’d just about passed her sister when she heard Jill mutter under her breath. “tramp.”

She froze in her tracks, slowly turning to look at her sister. “what did you just call me?”

Jill glared at her. “you heard me TRAMP.” she spat the word at Judy like a weapon. 

Before she knew what she was doing Judy stalked towards her sister, the familiar feeling of anger starting to flow through her. “THATS IT Jill.” she drove her finger into her sister's chest. “what I choose to do with MY fox is none of YOUR business. If I want to KISS him, I will. If I want to MAKE OUT with him, I will. AND,” She leaned in so she was right in her sister's face. IF I WANT HIM TO GRAB ME BY THE EARS AND FUCK MY BRAINS OUT THEN I'LL LET HIM. BECAUSE HE'S  **MINE** AND I CAN!”

she was breathing hard, her heart pounding in her ears with anger. She watched as anger rippled across Jill's face. a second later she shoved Judy back. “ENOUGH JUDY! THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE! STOP ACTING LIKE THIS FOX MEANS ANYTHING!”

A moment later she was shouting back. “FUCK YOU Jill! JUST CAUSE HE'S NOT SOME HORNY BUCK YOU THINK HE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING?! I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU JILL, HE'S BETTER THAN ANY BUCK YOU'VE EVER HAD!”

Jill's face turned bright red. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by their father who spoke calmly. “that's enough y-”

But Judy wasn't in the mood. She loved her father but right now she wanted to fight. Jill seemed to feel the same way, both of them turning to yell at the same time. “STAY OUT OF THIS DAD!” their father blinked, his mouth frozen half open mid word. The moment his voice ended Judy's attention went back to her sister. across from her Jill's paws had balled into fists and her face had gone even redder with anger. 

“WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM Jill?! ARE YOU MAD THAT FINALLY SOME BOY IS PAYING ATTENTION TO ME AND NOT YOU?! IS THAT AT? ARE YOU MAD THAT JUDE THE DUDE NOW HAS A BOY WHO LIKES HER?!”

Jill's response was filled with contempt. “WHAT?! WHY WOULD I EVER WANT THAT FOX LOOKING AT ME?! I'D RATHER HAVE A BUCK THAN HIM ANY DAY!”

Judy rolled her eyes dramatically. “OH BELIEVE ME I KNOW THAT. HOW MANY TIMES DID I WALK IN ON YOU AND SOME NEW BUCK GOING AT IT OVER THE SUMMER?! DO YOU EVEN KNOW THEIR NAMES OR ARE THEY JUST A NUMBER AND A NOTCH IN YOUR BEDPOST?”

Jill had started to shake now. Judy could almost feel the rage rolling off her sister. “LOOK WHO'S TALKING SLUT! HE PRACTICALLY BENT YOU OVER THE MAILBOX AND FUCKED YOU ON THE LAWN JUST NOW! I BET YOU AND HE FUCKED TONIGHT DIDN'T YOU?! I BET YOU'RE NOTHING BUT HIS LITTLE FUCK SLUT AND THIS IS SOME WAY FOR HIM TO GET HIS SICK LITTLE PREDATOR ROCKS OFF!”

A second later Judy felt something snap inside her as red flooded her brain. She lunged at her sister grabbing Jill by the front of her shirt before sinking her fist deep into her sister's stomach. She'd never been this mad in her life, never. Her muscles burned and roared with rage, ever fiber in her body bellowing at her to break every bone in Jill's body for saying such things. her moment of triumph was just as Jill's own fist came up, slamming into the side of her face making her head snap back. She could hear the sounds of shouting. Hands grabbing at her shoulders but she ignored them. Using her grip which was still on Jill Judy pushed her sister backwards, slamming her into the wall while she screamed at the top of her lungs. “WHAT WE DID AND DIDN'T DO IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS BITCH! SO FUCK OFF!”

Jill growled and tried to break her grip, shouting back. "I DON'T HEAR YOU DENYING IT SLUT! I BET YOU LOVE BEING HIS LITTLE BITCH! IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE SOMEONE MAY ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT YOU!”

She wanted to hurt Jill, to make her bleed and suffer. She grabbed at one of Jill's ears, Roughly yanking it sideways making Jill yelp in pain. A second later Judy's free hand grabbed her sister by the throat, her fingers tightening slightly. “WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SLUT WHORE?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SLEEPS AROUND LIKE AN STD! EVERYONE IN SCHOOL KNOW YOU'LL SPREAD YOUR LEGS FO-”

“THAT'S ENOUGH!”

A second later an iron vice like grip clamped down on Judy's shoulder making her grunt in pain. In front of her Jill did the same as their mother grabbed them. Roughly they were pulled apart, their mother forcing them to separate before stepping between them. But Judy wasn't ready to give up, trying to rush and grab Jill again. “YOUR JUST-”

But her voice was cut off as Bonnie turned and blocked her path. her paws coming up to push Judy back. “ENOUGH Judy!”

her anger turned to her mother. “enough?! ENOUGH?! SHE-”

But Bonnie cut her off again, raising her voice to bellow over her daughters.  “ **ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU TO YOUR ROOMS!! NOW! I DON'T WANNA SEE OR HEAR EITHER OF YOU UNTIL THE MORNING!”**

Neither Jill nor Judy moved, their eyes still locked on each other in fury.

“No.”

It was odd. One moment she was so mad that her skin felt like it was covered in ants. But now… 

Her mother looked at her. “what?”

“No. I'm not gonna go to my room. I didn't do anything wrong. She insulted MY boyfriend. I'm not going to be punished for standing up to her.”

She was oddly calm now, it was if the anger had drained out of her. Now she was filled with a kind of cold emotionless conviction. She stood there looking at her mother and sister. Her breathing had slowed and… 

"I'm leaving.”

Her mother blinked at her in confusion and alarm. “wh-what?”

She was silent for several moments, her mind slowly working. "I'm leaving. I won't stay in a house with someone who treats me or my boyfriend like crap just because he's a fox. And doesn't respect my right to date wherever I want.”

Her mother shook her head. “Judy you can't l-leave. Where will you go?”

“Nick's.” it was such an obvious answer. It slipped out before she even had time to think about it. She would go to Nicks. She could help take care of Finnick. She could help him with his meds and being sick. She was sure he'd let her stay…. She was pretty sure… she hoped he would.

In front of her, her mother was looking stunned. “Judy… you can't just barge in on him and ask to live with him. Its n-”

“what if I offered?”

The sound of the new voice made the three does jump, their heads all swiveling at once to find…

“Nick? W-wha-”

Nick shrugged. “your brother came and got me,” as Nick spoke tomas came into view next to him. “Caught up to me halfway down the road and told me you two were fighting about me. I… look…”

Nick shifted, looking to Judy's parents. "I know… you just met me. And i'm probably not making a great impression but… Mr and Mrs Hopps, I love you daughter. I love her so much. She's the best thing that's ever happened to md. I'd do anything to make her happy, and yeah, that kinda… scares the hell out of me. But… I know what it's like to live in a home with someone who treats you like dirt and won't ever change. I lived through it. I don't want Judy to go through it too. So… if she wants to… and if you're ok with it… she can stay with me.”

There was silence for a full 15 seconds. For Judy she was staring at Nick. Had he really… was he… did he really want her to live with him? Had-

“ok.”

Her eyes widened, all eyes in the room going to her father. He'd collected himself from his stunned silence at being yelled at earlier. Now he was looking to Nick. An oddly calm expression covered his face. After a few seconds Judy's mom stuttered. “o-o-ok? St-Stu wha-”

But her father shook her head. "I know Bonnie. I know. But hear me out. We both know Judy isnt gonna stop seeing this young man. Not when she is clearly head over heels for him. And… I dare say he's just as far gone as she is, so the feelings are obviously mutual. Judy is 17, her birthday is next month and then she's legally an adult and can do whatever she wants. And I think we both know this,” he gestured to Judy and Jill. "Is only going to get worse. So… so why not? He's willing… and she wants to. And it's not like he can get her pregnant.” Judy's mom let out a kind of strangled gasp at the mention of that. “so I think… we should let her.”

Judy's father turned to look at her. “Judy… do you really want to go and live with Nick?”

She didn't even have to think about it, nodding quickly. “y-yes.”

Now her dad turned to Nick. “and are you really ok with her living with you?”

She watched as Nick nodded too. “yes sir, I am.”

Stu nodded and turned back to look at Judy. “go pack a quick bag hun. You can come back this weekend and get the rest of your things.”

Was this really happening? Was her father really ok with her moving out and living with Nick? “a-are you su-sure?”

Stu nodded and smiled at her. “yes Judy. I am. You're different. You always have been. I'll still worry about you, I'm your father. But… I know you can look after yourself. And if you living with Nick makes you happy, but staying here will make you miserable… then I want you to be happy.”

He was serious. She could hear it in his voice. Could see it in the way he was standing.  This wasn't a joke, or a trick, or some kind of rage induced hallucination. He really did mean what he was saying. “d-dad…” Her feet carried her without even know it. Pulling her father into a tight hug. “thank you.  Thankyouthankyouthankyou.”

Her father chuckled. “we’ll expect you to call us twice a week. And don't think this means you can slack off at school. If your grades slip i'll be just as hard on you. Got it?”

 

She nodded. “yes.”

 

He shifted to look at Nick. “You better take care of my Judy. I mean it. Or else…” he let the threat hang there for a moment 

 

Nick nodded. "I will sir. I promise.”


	11. New Life

It was strange living away from the home she’d been raised in. She'd lived in the borough with her family for 17 years, their habits were ingrained into her mind as clearly as the pattern of her fur. She was used to hearing tomas pace the hallways, his insomnia keeping him awake hours after he should have gone to bed. She was accustomed to hearing the familiar creaks and groans from the borough at night. Or waking to the sounds of her nephews racing down the hallway to try and be the first into the bathroom. She'd grown up with those sounds for years. But now…

The first day had felt so strange almost alien to her. Waking up not in her bed but… their bed; hers AND Nick's. He woke up earlier than she was used to, not by much; only 30 minutes. But still enough to make her groan and roll over, intending to pound her alarm clock for more time. Of course her alarm clock wasn't there, and instead she'd hit Nick in the shoulder making him grunt dramatically and poke her side. “whas da for?”

She'd realized what she'd done a moment later, stammering out an apology as he sat up next to her. He'd laughed, leaning down to plant a gentle kiss against her shoulder. “come on. We'll be late.”

Getting ready for school wasn't that much different here than it had been at her house. There was the usual scrambling to use the bathroom, Although Nick's home had two so she could avoid the usual mad dash. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, smiling oddly as Nick had gargled for a few moments after he'd finished brushing. She'd just started to brush her ears, trying to make the fur lay down normally rather than the odd pattern it had developed during the night when the sound of rattling made her look over at him. She paused, the paw holding the brush freezing as she watched him pull a bottle of pills from the medicine cabinet before opening it and shaking out a pill. Jerking his head back a bit Nick popped the pill into his mouth, washing it down with a mouthful of water. She watched silently as he repeated the act twice, three times, four times, five, six and…

“do… do you take this many pills… everyday?”

He looked over at her, his seventh pill halfway to his mouth before shrugging. “not always. But…” she watched him shift a little, clearly trying to decide how much to tell her.

“Nick… what is it?”

He sighed and shook his head, popping the pill into his mouth before swallowing it. "Its nothing, a little nausea this morning. I'll be ok.”

She remained silent watching him for a few seconds. She wanted to say something, to do something. To help him in someway. For weeks now she'd gone online and looked up everything she could on his illness. But without knowing more about it, it was almost impossible to find anything helpful. Hell she barely knew what meds he was taking. If an emergency happened she'd be… useless… or worse.

Next to her he spoke. “there's that crease again Carrots. what are you thinking?”

She bit her lip, silently cursing her tell and his knowledge of it. "I… I want to know more… about… it.”

Nick blinked at her, "It? You mean my cancer?”

She nodded. Nick sighed softly. “then say that Judy. Don't pussyfoot around it. I don't.”

She bit her lip again. His tone wasn't angry, but firm. "I want to know… more about your… cancer… please.”

She watched as he sighed, his expression becoming sad and somber.. “are you sure? It won't make you feel better.”

She nodded. "I… know. But… I still wanna know. If… if something happens I need to be able to help.”

He remained silent for a few seconds before nodding. “ok. After school I'll tell you. Finnick has soccer today, so we’ll have the house free to ourselves for a few hours.”

She nodded back smiling weakly at him. “thank you.”

He sighed again but didn't respond. Next came breakfast, and it was here that Judy realized why Nick got up earlier than she did. Normally as she dashed out the door she'd grab a piece of toast or a bagel. Something simple and light that she could eat as she and her siblings rushed to catch the train into the city. Nick however ate an actual meal for breakfast; the smell of eggs, buttery toast and oatmeal filling the home making Judy's stomach rumble and her mouth water. It was around this time that Finnick appeared, dressed in jeans and tshirt and bounding up and into his chair before cheering as Nick handed over the tiny fox’s portion of the meal. 

The breakfast was quick but enjoyable. In between bites of food Finnick would tell Nick about what he had done yesterday in class, or who he had played with at recess, or what projects the class was working on. In response Nick would nod and make the appropriate noises when necessary, even though Judy could tell he was only half paying attention. Once they were done eating their dishes went into the sink and the mad dash for the train began. Smiling Judy watched as Nick scooped Finnick up, putting the small fox on his shoulders as they dashed through the streets towards the station; the whole time the small fox giggled and cheered.

The train ride to school was less cramped than the one from BunnyBurrow, not surprising since most people in this area would be heading into the city to work and not to the city edge for school. Dropping Finnick off at his school was sweet, she watched as Nick kissed the little fox between his ears and told him to have a great day. In response the smaller fox hugged Nick, saying: “love you daddy.” before rushing off towards the school building. Then it was there turn rushing off to school and classes and their friends. They both agreed not to tell anyone about them living together, at least for now. In the back of her mind Judy couldn't help but wonder how jack would react to the news if he found out. He’d been so angry when he’d found out she iked Nick as a friend; she couldn't imagine what he would do if he found out there were more. 

Silently she prayed she’d never have to find out. 

 

\---------

 

It was around second period when she started to notice something was ‘off’ about Nick. Usually he was laughing and joking, his attitude smartass and sarcastic as it had been for months. But in the classes they’d shared together he’d been quiet, subdued. At first she’d thought maybe her request to talk with him was the cause. It was a very personal thing to ask, perhaps a little out of line since they'd just started to grow closer. When lunch rolled around as they usually did Judy was first in line, saving their group of friends a table. She watched as Nick sat down, seeming to drop himself into the chair with little grace. As clawhauser and frufru dug into their food Judy watched as Nick moved, picking up the chicken sandwich and slowly bringing it to his mouth; only to freeze his nose twitching at the cooked meat. “Nick?”

He didn't respond to her voice, instead he quickly put the sandwich down, his eyes drifting closed while his hand went to his head to cover his eyes. She heard him inhale, a long deep shaking inhale that seemed much more pained than it should have been. She tried speaking to him again. “Nick? Are yo-”

A second later her words ended abruptly as Nick shot up from his seat and ran towards the door to the hallway. "Illberightback!”

She watched him go a feeling of familiar dread filling her stomach. Nick had said he’d been feeling nauseous this morning. Was it possible…

Before clawhauser of frufru could respond she stood up, "I'm gonna go check on him.” quickly making her way from the cafeteria and out into the hallway. For a moment she wondered if she might find him on the floor, vomit surrounding him as it had done the first week of school. Luckily that was not the case, the hallway was just as ‘clean’ as it had been when they’d walked through it to get here. Slowly she moved down the hallway, peering into the branching hallways and classrooms as she did so, trying to find out where Nick had gone. It was times like these she wished her nose was stronger, then she could just sniff him out. For a moment she thought about calling his cellphone. Even if he didn't respond, she’d probably be able to hear his ringtone. She’d just slipped her hand into her pocket when-

“Dude it was nasty. He just barged in and started puking his guts out in the last stall.”

“Hahaha, gross.”

The snippet of conversation made her ears perk, turning in the direction of the Kudu and Oryx who were passing by her. She knew them in passing, Bucky and Pronk two seniors she’d shared an art class with last year. And with a sickening lurch of her stomach she found she probably knew who they were talking about, even if they hadn't said the name. But now she knew where he was, that was progress. Rushing to the door of the nearest men’s bathroom Judy froze, slightly unsure of what to do. The hallway was empty now, no one would see her duck in. yet… it felt odd. Thrilling and daring, but also somehow invasive and…

The sound of retching followed by a sickening splash made the decision for her. Pushing open the door Judy quickly stepped inside. Thank gods the bathroom was empty. For a moment her eyes scanned the room, it wasn't as clean as the girl’s bathroom. The mirror was a bit cloudier, the tiles a little more of an off color white than white. One of the lights flickered and buzzed. But her attention was pulled from that as the sound of another retch met her ears. “N-Nick?”

She could hear panting, someone struggling for breath. And then softly, weakly Nick’s voice called out. “C-Carrots?” She moved towards the voice, finding Nick in the last stall as bucky had described. She could see a small ways under the door, could see him on his knees in front of the toilet. After a few moments he spoke again. “Wh-what are you do-doing in here? This is the b-boy’s room.”

She nodded, more out of habit than anything else. "I know. Are you ok?”

His voice shook slightly as he responded. "I-I'm f-f-” a moment later his words ended as he vomited again, the sound making Judysears go down. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do. She hated this, being separated from him while he was sick. She hated this door for being between them. She wanted, no needed to be in there with him.

“Nick, can you open the door?”

She could hear Nick panting, trying to take deep breaths when he could finally respond. “N-n-no Carrots… I d-do-don't… I don't want you… to… se-see melikethis.” his words rushed out as a second later he vomited again, the sound echoing off the walls.

She felt a surge of something inside her, some kind of protective need to be in there with him, even if he didn't want her there. She knocked on the stall door forcefully. “Nick. OPEN THE DOOR.”

He didn't respond for several moments, the sound of him panting the only thing she could hear. "I-Ill be ok Carrots. G-go back to lu-lunch.”

She growled, a rare feeling of annoyance and anger flaring up in his chest. Why was he being so stubborn? It wasn't like she hadn't seen people vomit before. She’d grown up in a house with dozens of siblings. Hell she’d seen HIM throw up the first week they’d known each other. Part of her wanted to just kick the door in. if they were anything like the doors in the girl’s room she could certainly do it. Then again that could just make things worse. “Nick i’'m coming in.”

“Wh-what?”

She ignored his question, dropping to her knees and then to her stomach before half sliding half crawling under the closed door to the stall. She grinned as Nick stared at her, his expression of shock making her chuckle. "Its a bathroom stall Nick, not fort knox.” 

He opened his mouth to respond, to say something only to feel another wave of nausea ripple through him, making him hunch back over the toilet. He panted, his sides heaving slightly as he struggled to keep what little food was left in his stomach down. It was a struggle he lost, as a fresh wave of sour acidic sludge erupted from his mouth. He felt her move in, her hand going to his shoulder, making him flinch slightly. He hadn't wanted her to see him like this. Not when they’d just become so close. She was an amazing person, so kind and caring and forgiving. But she didn't seem to understand that once she saw something or knew something, there wasn't any going back. There was no way to undo that knowledge. He hadn't wanted her see him like this, as some weak frail dying thing. because…

His stomach lurched again, making him clamp his eyes shut as another wave of sludge left his mouth. His throat ached and burned and he was forced spit several dregs of the sludge out. Even then the taste didn't fully leave his mouth. “p-please Judy… d-don't…”

She ignored him, her paw gently starting to run his back in a circle motion. "I'm here Nick. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.”

He kept his eyes shut, willing himself not to start crying. Another battle he lost as his emotions overwhelmed him, tears starting to trickle down his face. He loved her so much. He wanted to give her the world. To be everything she deserved and so much more. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve a boyfriend who was sick and dying. She deserved a prince charming not a leper. As yet as she held him he prayed she didn't leave him. Hoping beyond hope that she would stay and not be disgusted with him.

Groaning weakly Nick moved, leading sideways to rest his head against the wall of the stall. His stomach was empty, nothing more to throw up. Perversely and perhaps mockingly his stomach growled in hunger. 

She watched him, feeling her stomach clench painfully as she did. His ears were laid back against his head, his tail was laying limply on the floor of the bathroom, his whispers were drooping and every hair on his body looked beat down and tired. Even his breathing seemed labored. It was heartbreaking to see, reaching into his and making her helpless and useless. “Nick… what can I do?”

He looked at her. “do?”

She nodded, her eyes filled with concern. “how can I help you? What can I do to make you feel better?”

He shook his head. “nothing Judy. You don't have-”

But she cut him off. "I know I don't have to. I WANT to, so tell me what to do. Please.”

He remained silent for a moment trying to think of something, anything she could do. He could see it in her face. As badly as he wished she would go and leave him, she wished there was something she could do. It killed him, like reaching into his chest and pulling his heart out through his mouth. “c-come here.”

She didn't hesitate for a second, scooting closer to him so her arms could slip around his sides. At the same time his arm came up, circling her shoulder. It was a soft embrace, but she could feel the layers to it. The desperation. the hope, the love, the pain, all of it shared between them. She knew the truth. This wasn't going to be the first time this happened. Nick had said it himself, his time was ticking down. A day, a week, a month, a year, or the next five minutes. None of it was for sure. Eventually he would get worse and worse until… it couldn't get any worse.

In a split second she made up her mind. “Think you can walk?”

He looked sideways at her. “uh… where?”

She smiled, looking up at him. “to your locker to get your things so we can leave.”

He blinked at her. “leave?”

She nodded but he kept blinking at her, confused. “yeah Nick. Leave. You just puked your guts out. You're not staying here for the rest of the day. We're gonna go get Finnick and then I'm gonna take you somewhere special. You can rest, I'll look after Finnick and then tonight we can talk… about things... a few things.”

He stared at her unsure of what to say. It was true, his throat burned, his mouth tasted like acid and his body ached. He doubted he could make it the rest of the day. But…

“J-Judy, I can't ask you to leave too.”

Just smiled softly at him. “good thing I'm not asking then. Now get up Nick wilde, go get your shit and meet me outside the school in 10 minutes.”

Despite how he felt he chuckled lightly when she swore, making her smile back at him. “ok.”

The walk back to his locker was tiring. His body really did ache as slowly moved through the hallways. Judy had left him a few corridors back, heading to her own locker to get her things. His stomach squirmed guiltily at that. He was dragging her down. That was twice now she would miss a school day because of him. Reaching his locker he paused, resting his head against the cool metal. He didn't want this, to be a burden to her. To drag her down with him. This is what he'd been afraid of. He was changing her, making her into something she wasn't. She might not realize it or might not think it was his fault… but it was.  He'd have to talk with her about it tonight. For now… he really wanted to leave this place. 

Grabbing his bag Nick hustled from the school, looping around the side of the school to meet Judy where they'd agreed at. “So, Where is this special place you're taking me?”

She smiled at him. “ah ah ah, it's a surprise. I'll tell you once we're on the train, but not before.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “oh? A surprise you say?”

She nodded. “one I'm sure you and Finnick will love very much. So let's hurry and go get him.”

Part of him wanted to ask her more questions. Part of him wanted to try and seduce the info out of her, remembering how sensitive her ears were. but another part… that part wanted to see what was going to happen next.

 

\--------

 

It took them only a half hour to collect Finnick, and arrive at the train station. Checking the arrival boards Judy smiled as she found the train they needed would be arriving shortly. Turning to Finnick and Nick Judy paused as her smile grew. They'd moved away from her slightly and now stood in front of one of the large windows that looked out over the district. The young fox was in Nick's shoulders, eyes wide while his hands and face were pressed against the glass as he looked out over what he probably thought was the whole world. Slowly she came up behind them, her arms gently circling Nick's waist in a soft hug. “wh-whao, hey there Carrots.”

“hey.” as she spoke she leaned in resting her face against his back. She hugged him. Pulling him back against her softly, inhaling his scent until it had filled her lungs. "I love you”

She felt one of his hands come down, gently squeezing hers while his other one kept a hold of Finnick's leg. "I love you too.”

They didn't have to wait to much longer for the train to arrive. As the people disembarked Judy pulled Nick forward towards the train. “come on. this is us.”

She felt Nick resist, his eyes looking confused as he looked at the train. “but this is the train out to BunnyBurrow.”

She nodded, continuing to pull him forward. “good, cause that's where we're going. Now come on.”

Nick looked at her sideways but began moving again. “and why are we going to BunnyBurrow Carrots?”

She grinned. “cause, I'm gonna take you and Finnick to my second favorite spoke in the whole world.”

He raised an eyebrow again. “second?”

She nodded, moving to take a seat next to him. As they sat down Finnick clambered down from Nicks shoulders and hopped up onto a seat, reading himself to watch the world flash by. As for Judy, moved closer to Nick when he sat down; leaning against his chest. “this is number one.”

Nick chuckled. “geeze Carrots. I might need an insulin shot after that it was so sweet.”

She grinned and laughed as the train began to move again. The world flashed past them, scenes of the outskirts of the city quickly vanishing to be replaced by wide open farmland as far as the eye could see. From here he stood against the window Finnick voice filled with wonder. “whoa! Look daddy! A farm! And another one! And another! and-”

She smiled, watching the small kit stare out at the world with such amazement. He was so young, so innocent. Not a care or worry in the world. No understanding of what was happening or what was going on. Just a new adventure everyday. She missed that. Being thay carefree and innocent. It felt like that had been centuries ago. Her life had changed so much in such a short period of time. At the beginning of the school year she'd been as straitlaced and goody-goody as could be. She'd never dreamed about kissing someone Or dating them or… having sex. She’d never in a million years thought she'd get so mad at her sister or move out of the house or be so madly in love. 

And yet all of that had happened. And… she didn't regret it, any of it. It was thrilling to no longer be so straitlaced. But a rebel, even if it was only by a little bit. Now she couldn't imagine not being able to kiss or hold Nick. Dating him send shivers of excitement down her spine, the knowledge that he only had eyes for her making her swoon a bit. And sex… gods that was, at least so far the greatest thing she'd ever done, feeling so loved and warm and connected afterwards that it was a bit jarring to look back on. Her fury at jill was matched only by her excitement at living with Nick. And the feelings of love she had for him… they were indescribable. She would do anything for him, anything to help him or make his life easier. Anything to make him smile. And… she was pretty sure he felt the same way too. 

And yet in the back of her mind, she knew it couldn't last. That it WOULDN'T last. That eventually Nick's condition would start to deteriorate and eventually no matter how much she begged and pleaded and prayed, he would die; unless…

 

\--------

 

He blinked at the otter behind the counter turned to them. “here you go. One order of blueberry ice cream, a chocolate sundae and carrot cake gelato. Enjoy you three.”

He reached out, taking the bowl of ice cream he was being offered. He wasn't exactly sure what he had expected. The way Judy had kept this place a secret… maybe he'd expected some kind of open field, with flowers as far as the eye could see. Or some kind of hidden creek or river. He certainly hadn't expected an ice cream shop. Looking sideway Nick watched as Judy smiled, taking a spoonful of the frozen treat and popping it into her mouth. A second later her tail twitched and her ears stood straight up for a moment. Next to her Finnick took his own bite of his sundae, his eyes widening as the spoon vanished into his mouth. A second later Finnick looked to him. His eyes still wide, but clearly speechless. Chuckling Nick spoke. “how is it little man?”

Finnick stared at him for a moment. "Is the best thing ever had!”

He smiled, watching as the small fox dug into his bowl with gusto. Turning his attention back to Judy Nick found that the rabbit was watching him. After a moment she gestured to his frozen blueberry pawcicle. “go on Nick.”

He sighed, looking down at it. It looked good. But I had been… years since he'd had a pawcicle. What if he'd outgrown them? Judy had insisted he get it, promising it was delicious but…

He brought the treat to his mouth, his tongue flicking out to run along its col-

Flavor exploded in his mouth, cold mixing with the fruity flavors of the berries and some kind of soft tartness that made his eyes widen in shock. Next to him Judy chuckled. “told you it was good.”

He only nodded, his tongue dancing and lapping along the pawcicles surface. Good didn't do it justice. It was… amazing. Now he understood why she liked this place. Nothing in the world could possibly be wrong when a person had one of these frozen delights. The three of them left the shop, taking a seat at one of the small tables that had been setup in front of the shop. As they ate Nick looked around, taking in the sights of the small town. When he'd picked up Judy for their date he'd passed by the town, but he hadn't actually gone into it. It was nice. The streets were quiet with only a few cars. Small shops lined the streets, selling clothes or flowers or jewelry or anything else they wanted. The air smelled fresh and clean rather than dusty like in the city. But it was more than that. The little town had a relaxed feeling about it, as if no one had anything important to do and was just enjoying their day.

He certainly was. The cool air and breeze felt heavenly. And the ice cream was helping, its coldness helping to sooth his still upset but no longer raging stomach. Across from him Judy was speaking. "I used to come here when I was younger. First my mom would take me every so often. Then I was older I'd work summers and use some of my money to come here once or twice a week.”

He watched as she smiled and looked at him. "I'm glad we came here. It's been too long since my last time.”

He nodded in agreement. “glad we di-”

He broke off as she grinned and laughed, pointing at him. “what?”

She kept grinning. “your tongue. Its purple now.”

As if to confirm it Finnick giggled too. “daddy purple!”

He grinned and stuck out his purple tongue, making them both giggle again before going back to their ice cream. Soon enough the ice cream was gone leaving them all feeling happy and a bit hypt from the sugar. Nick watched as Finnick fidgeted, seemingly unable to sit still with the amount of sugar coursing through him. Judy must have noticed too. “there's a playground around the corner. Wanna go run around Finnick?”

The small fox nodded vigorously “yesyesyesyes!”

Nick smiled, looking to Judy. “lead the way Carrots.” 

she smiled and stood up, gesturing for her to follow them before pausing for a moment to toss their empty bowls into the trash. They left the shop, Nick slipping his hand into Judy's as they walked while Finnick ran a small ways ahead. Gently he squeezed her hand, smiling wider as she squeezed his back. The playground was deserted, not surprising since most of the kids in the town would be away at school this time of day. Nick chuckled, watching as Finnick practically vanished from sight for a moment, only to reappear on a swing. 

“hey… Nick… can I ask you something?”

He looked sideways and Judy, noting how her brow had again furrowed. “what?”

She looked at him, slightly curious. “um… with your… condition… why do you still go to school?”

He shrugged. “what else would I do?”

Judy frowned. "I don't know. It just… it seems strange. I mean… id think you'd rather do… well anything else.”

He shrugged, watching as Finnick pumped and kicked his legs to make the swing go. “honestly Carrots… what would I do? I have no family, except Finnick who doesn't know I'm sick. I don't really like to do anything super specific. So id probably just end up laying in bed all day.”

He felt he move a little, leaning against him gently. “that could be nice… if you had the right company.”

He looked at her, his green eyes meeting her pink ones. She was leading him to something; but what?

“Carrots… why are you asking?”

She sighed softly. “well… what if… you and i… dropped out?”

He stared at her for a moment, slightly stunned. He'd been under the impression she liked school. Her grades were certainly better than his. So why then… 

“why?”

She continued to lean against him, holding his hand as she and he watched Finnick swing. "I just… I want to spend time with you. As much… as much time as possible.”

This time he sighed. “Judy…”

But she shook her head. “Nick, you said it yourself. You don't know how much time you have left. And honestly… how are you feeling?”

He frowned at her. "I told yo-”

She rolled her eyes. “you told me so I wouldn't worry. Be honest. How are you feeling?”

He was silent for a while, watching as Finnick giggled as he swung higher and higher. In truth…

"I feel worn out. Just… exhausted. Like I just wanna sleep for a week straight.”

Judy nodded. “and I wanna be with you when you do.” she moved, stepping in front of him while turning to face him. "I wanna be there against you. So when you wake up i'll be the first thing you see.”

He looked down and her, pulling her into a soft hug. “what did I ever do to deserve you? Look… i'll think on it this weekend. Ok?”

She nodded. “Nick, I love you.”

He bit his lip, Holding her a little tighter. "I love you to Judy.”


	12. Packing And Running

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A SMALL SEGMENT OF SMUT  
> IF YOU WISH TO SKIP THIS THEN LOOK FOR THE DOUBLE LINE BREAKS.

The weekend came, bringing with it only two things they needed to do the whole two days. First Judy needed to go back to her mom and dad's house to get the rest of her clothes and things from her room. And secondly she needed to give Nick plenty of time to rest. She tried to do the first one is secret. The day before she texted her father, asking him if he could leave boxes in her room to pack up with. Now she was waking up extra early on Saturday so she could perhaps slip out of the house unseen by Nick and get the packing and moving done before he'd awoken. Sadly that didn't happen, a faint groan meeting her ears as she'd tried to silently pull her pants on. “h-huh? Ju-Judy?”

She smiled, turning to look at him. For a moment he actually took her breath away. He usually slept in his boxers, he’d told her that the first night after she’d moved in. not that she had minded that at all. Now he was sitting up in bed, the blankets having fallen away revealing his tones chest and shoulders, while framing his hips in a very attractive way. His fur was a bit unkempt and one of his ears had been turning inside out in the night. She bit her lip, mentally kicking herself for not changing in the bathroom. “Shhhh, it’s ok Nick. I'm just gonna go to my parents and pack. Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a bit.”

He groaned and moved, slowly doing the opposite of what she wanted as he got out of bed. "I'll come too.”

She shook her head, moving closer to him so she could touch his shoulders and keep him from standing up. “No, it’s ok Nick. I got this. Rest. you said you’ve been tired all week.”

He looked up at her and chuckled. “Judy, I can deal with tired. I did I've been doing it for the last three years raising Finnick and going to school. I’ll be ok for a few more hours. Besides, things will go faster if I'm there to help.” 

She bit her lip as he slowly reached up, pulling her hands away from his shoulders before standing up. She watched as he moved, digging into his dresser and finding a simple pair of jeans and a black t shirt. As he pulled the shirt on over his head he turned, catching sight of her still watching him with that worried and guilty expression on her face. He sighed softly. “Tell you what Carrots, After we get back, i'll sleep. Ok? You can even sleep with me to make sure.”

He grinned at her as she chuckled softly. “Ok, deal. But we’ll actually be sleeping. Not ‘sleeping’.”

He gave her a pouting face. “Can't we do both? Maybe the second more than the first?”

She playfully punched his arm as he passed her. “Pervy fox.”

He Stuck his tongue out at her. “Horny bunny.”

As quietly as they could they crept through the house, making their way to the front door before slipping out and locking it behind them. “What about Finnick? Will he be ok?”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Finnick sleeps until like…. Noon on most weekends. He won’t even know we’re gone. And if by some miracle he does wake up while we’re away, I left him a note on the fridge telling him we’d be back soon and that he can watch cartoons till we’re back.”

She blinked at him in surprise. “You left him a note?”

Nick nodded. “Yeah, last night before I came to bed. Stuck it to the cupboard where his cereal is so he'd see it.”

She stared at him. “Wait, did you know I was going to try and sneak out?”

He smiled and nodded. “Sorta. I figured you’d do something to try and take care of this yourself. So I made up the note just in case.”

Her ears drooped slightly at his words. She’d thought she was being sneaking, setting up the perfect plan so she wouldn't have to wake Nick up to help her. Next to her Nick chuckled, his arm wrapping around her shoulder as they walked. “Don't feel bad Carrots. It was sweet, really.”

She looked at him. "I just… I didn't wanna bother you. You’ve done so much for me already and…”

He gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Its ok Carrots. Really. It’ll take us, what; an hour to pack up your room? Maybe two if I start nosing through your Stuff.” he chuckled as she poked his side playfully. “And then we can come back here and i'll rest. Ok?”

She sighed softly. “Ok.”

After a moment his arm left her shoulders, the loss of contact making her a tad bit cold. The day was still barely begun. in the east the sun was just starting to peek out from behind the mountains, it’s golden rays of light illuminating and heating the world. A few other mammals were out this early, a middle aged possum reading a newspaper on a bench. A pair of bats stepping back into their house. A badger jogging down the sidewalk; but for the most part the area was empty. The train station was actually empty, their steps echoing around the large hallow station as they waited for their train. Feeling his hand touch her Judy looked down, watching as his orange paw slowly slipped into hers, winding their fingers together softly. She felt warmth bloom in her chest, her gaze looking up at him to see a smile on his face. “Hey, good morning.” A second later he leaned down, planting a gentle kiss against her cheek.

She bit her lip, her heart fluttering again at the simple yet sweet gesture. She returned the kiss, planting one on his cheek before he had a chance to straighten up. “Morning to you too.”

It made her oddly giddy, standing there waiting for the train her paw in his having just kissed each other good morning. It made her tail twitch as her feet bounce slightly with energy. Part of her really wanted to do it again. To kiss her boyfriend again. But she didn't, not wanting to seem strange to him. Instead she squeezed his paw, the warmth again blooming in her chest as he squeezed hers back. 

The train arrived a few minutes later, as the doors opened a few mammals stepped out. Probably on their way to work deeper into the city. She watched as some of them passed, her grip on Nick’s paw tightening as she noticed a few of them glance and him and her. She could see their expressions. Most didn't care, some looked curious, one of them; an older looking black bear gave them a look of disgust. She narrowed her eyes, daring him to say something. But if he saw her expression he didn't respond instead moving passed them and out of th station. Stepping into the train they quickly took their seats, Nick pulling her back to she was leaning against his chest gently as the train whirred back to life whisking them away from the station and off towards the country. 

 

\---------

 

Letting herself into the house as she had done so many times before Judy slowly motioned for Nick to follow her. It was still pretty early, even with the two hour train ride here. Her parents might be up already, the smell of coffee coming from the kitchen a good sign. Sticking her head through the doorway Judy found that her mother was sitting at the dining room table, but looked up after a moment. “Judy!”

Her mother jumped up, practically running to her and giving her a tight hug. She returned the hug, the familiar feeling making her smile. After a few moments her mother released her, looking at her. “how are you hun? Are you eating enough? Are you sleeping ok? We can send you some fresh fruits from the patch if you like.”

She smiled at her mother's doting, nodding at her questions. "I'm ok mom. I promise. I'm sleeping and eating perfectly. Nick is a good cook.c

Behind her Nick spoke up softly. “Although if you're offering I wouldn't say no to some blueberries. Finnick would love them.”

Judy watched as he mother looked to Nick, her face becoming a bit more stoic and calm. For a moment Judy wondered if her mother was mad that Nick was there. Nick seemed to have the same thought, taking a small step back. His ears flicking down as he moved. Then, “of course you can have some. I'll get you a fresh batch while you pack.”

Nick gave Bonnie a small tentative smile, one the older bunny returned. “thanks.”

Bonnie nodded. “of course.”

Judy smiled, feeling a small wave of relief  wash through her. “thanks mom.”

Her mother turned to her again, her smile growing. “of course dear. Not hurry up and get packing. If you can get done soon enough your father can give you a ride into town on his way to the market.”

Judy nodded, giving her mother another small hug before leaving the kitchen and guiding Nick through down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. As they walked Nick spoke softly. “kinda reminds me of my home. Smaller, but… kinda the same.”

Judy nodded as she pushed open her door. “only so many ways to build an underground home I guess.”

Looking around her room Judy found that her father had done as shed asked, leaving her a stack of flattened boxes and several rolls of packing tape. Next to her Nick spoke. “so… alone with my girlfriend in her bedroom… kinda hot I gotta say.”

She chuckled, moving towards the stack of boxes they'd been left. “mind out of the gutter wilde. The walls are thin, wed be heard for sure.”

She heard him chuckle and move in behind her. a second later she froze, a soft gasp escaping her mouth as she felt him reach up, gently squeezing and running his paw down her ear. “that could be fun. Maybe we could make your sister explode.”

She grinned at that mental image, Jill so mad that she just exploded into confetti and fur. But the image was washed away as Nick's other paw came up, pressing gently against her back. His claws came out, gently  scratching their way from her shoulders to her hips. She groaned softly, leaning back into the scratches. “we can't… we don't have… enough… time.”

He chuckled softly. “doesn't have to be sex. I could eat you out. Been wanting to do that again.”

Gods her face rose several degrees in the span of a second. She bit her lip, struggling (and failing) to not picture herself spread out over her bed, her eyes closed and her body trembling as he…

“come on fox. The sooner we finish here the sooner we can make that happen.”

She heard him sigh softly. “such a goody goody.”

She smirked, turning and reaching up to grab the back of his head and drag him forward; their lips crashing together a moment later. Shed started him. The tension in the kiss told her that. She pushed through it. Her tongue coming out to lap against his lips which parted for her a second later. There was no blocking the soft moans they both let out, their tongues rubbing and caressing each others for several seconds before she pulled away. She smirked at him as she found his eyes had drifted closed, passionate expression on his face and a small string of saliva hanging between them. “now get to work Wilde. That's all you get till the room is packed.”

She smiled as he groaned softly. “you're evil Judy Hopps.”

She chuckled. “you love it.”

“yes, yes I do.”

They broke apart a few minutes later, both of them carrying a box to opposite sides of the room. For Judy she focused on her bookshelf and desk, pulling the things she wanted while leaving the things she didn't. For Nick he moved to her closet, pulling down her shirts and pants before putting them in the box. Occasionally he'd make a sound, making her look over and giggle or smile as she found him holding up an article of clothing he found amusing.

“oh caaaarrots…”

He glanced over, unable to not laugh as she found him wearing a pink plastic tiara she could remember getting at her 5th birthday party while shooting her a kiss. “you're having way to much fun Nick.”

He chuckled. “oh I know. But i… OH MY!”

she looked back at him, wondering what he could have found to-

A second later her face went bright red as her eyes fell on the outfit Nick was holding up. She scrambled towards him, trying to snatch the frilly sheer red nighty from him. “givethattomenick!”

He laughed, standing up and holding it out of reach. “oh no, not till I hear why you have this. Never figured you for a lingerie girl.”

Her face and ears felt like they were on fire as she tried again to grab the intimates he was holding. “niiiiick. Seriously! Give me those, no one knows about them.”

He grinned at her. "I know about them and you know,” he leaned down, smirking at her in a way that made her shudder slightly. "Id love to see you in this sometime.” she bit her lip, her heart hammering in her chest. 

“o-ok! I'll wear it for you sometime. Just give it back.”

He raised an eyebrow. “you promise?”

“yes!”

“Do you double promise?”

"Nick!”

He chuckled and let her have the clothing which she quickly Stuffed into her box so he couldn't tease her with it again. Across the room he chuckled. “classy Carrots. You have good tastes.” in response she threw a pillow at him.

Soon enough the room was emptied, only a handful of items remaining while the rest had been packed up into a total of 5 large boxes. Moving the boxes was pretty easy. between the two of them they could each lift one side and carry them down the hallway and outside where Judy's dad had pulled the family truck around to be loaded. 

“Judy!”

The sound of her younger siblings made her turn, smiling as they ran to her hugging her legs. She knelt down and hugged them each, smiling as Tomas appeared behind them. “hey sis.”

She nodded to him. “hey.”

He looked to Nick for a moment. “you been taking care of my sister?”

Nick nodded. “yes.”

Tomas smiled. “good.”

Packing the rest of the boxes into the back of the truck Judy turned and had been about to say something to Nick when she froze. In the doorway she could see Jill standing, glaring at her. Her arms were folding and there was a clear expression of disgust covering her face. Judys eyes narrowed, as if daring Jill to say anything. She had half a mind to close the gap between them and finish the fight they'd started before.

“Carrots…” she blinked looking to Nick who was watching her. “relax. Its ok. She's entitled to her opinions.”

She ground her teeth together in anger. she knew he was right. But still… it made her blood boil that her sister could be so close minded about Nick. If they'd met and just didn't like each other that would be one thing. But to write him off simply for being a fox… 

She ground her teeth but turned away, doing her best to ignore her sister as she helped her dad and siblings load the truck for the market. In a way she found herself missing this. She loved living with Nick, wouldn't trade it for anything. But… it also felt strange not being around the farm, helping with the chores, or the booth. As if he knew what she was thinking, her dad spoke. “jude, you wanna come along? You can still help out if you like.”

She bit her lip, glancing at Nick who was leaning against the side of the truck. She watched as he leaned back, his eyes drifting closed as he took a deep breath. She could almost feel his fatigue as she watched him. She could see it in his posture, the way he was leaning against the truck letting it support most of his weight. His breathing was slowed, the way someone who was trying to get a few moments of rest between work might. Looking back to her father she smiled. “thanks dad, but maybe another time. We have a lot of unpacking to do.”

Her father looked at her, his eyes flickering to Nick for a moment before speaking. “so… how are you?”

She smiled at him. "I'm good dad. It's… I love living with Nick. Its…”

Her dad looked back at Nick before smiling softly. “your mom and I were the same way. Did you know that?”

She looked at him, shaking her head a moment later. “no. I didn't.”

He nodded. “your grandfather wasn't happy about it. We kept sneaking out to see each other. The number of times I had to dive out the window… but you gran knew. One night she invited me over to dinner, she asked if I would be leaving out the window the next day or if i'd like to use the front door.” Judy couldn't help but giggle at that, the idea of her father jumping out the window to avoid being caught by grandma and grandpa. He dad allowed her a few moments before continuing. “she said it was cute, but that one of these days I was going to hurt myself. So I should just move into the guest house with your mother. I'll never forget the sound your grandfather made. He looked like he was about to find his shotgun and blow a hole through my chest. But… we loved it. Living together… not having to hide anymore… being able to watch tv together… cuddle while we slept… it was heaven Jude… pure heaven.” He looked at her smiling softly. “that's what you're feeling isn't it?”

She bit her lip, looking back at Nick. He opened his eyes, now he was entertaining one of her sibling by letting them chase his follow his tails in circles. After a moment she looked back at her dad. "It is. Dad… i… I love living with him. I just… I love it.”

He smiled at her. “then let's get you both back home so you can be together.”

She smiled, hugging her dad again before letting him go and following him to the truck. “ok everyone. Lets get going. We gotta drop Nick and Judy off before the market.”

Judy watched as her siblings scrambled to their usual spots in the truck. Moving to rake her spot in the back Judy frowned and Nick moved away from the truck heading instead towards the house and Jill who was still standing in the doorway watching them. “n-nick?”

He smiled at her as he passed. "Its ok Carrots.  I just wanna say something to her.”

Walking up to the house he came to a stop a few feet from the door, looking at Judy's sister for a moment before speaking. "I don't know you. Your sure don't know me. I don't know why you don't like me. But I gotta hope its because you don't want your sister to be hurt. So let me be clear about this, so that if you only know one other thing about me besides that i'm a fox; it's this. I LOVE your sister. I would never hurt her. So… there… you remember that.”

He watched as Jill looked away from him, looking passed him to Judy for a minute before rolling her eyes. “whatever. You wanna be a prey chaser, fine. she wants to be a predo, fine. You two freaks can have each other. But don't expect me approve. Its disgusting and not natural.”

A moment later she turned, vanishing into the house the door slamming shut behind her. Sighing softly he turned around. Heading back to the truck before climbing into the back. As he settled in against Judy he heard her speak. "Nick… i…”

He reached out, taking her paw in his while leaning into kiss her cheek. “let's go home.”

 

\--------

 

The sun was steadily rising now. easily approaching mid morning by the time came a stop in front of their home. Climbing down from the truck bed Judy watched as her family looked at Nick's… their house. After a few moments her father spoke. “looks nice.”

Nick smiled. “thanks. Can I bring Finnick out for a moment? To say hi.”

Her dad looked at him. “sure.”

She looked nervously at him, but found he was smiling as he moved forward and unlocked the front door. “little man you awa-”

“DADDY!”

she smiled as the force of the impact from the small fox against his leg made Nick stagger slightly. After a moment to regain his balance Nick spoke. “Finnick, i'd like you to meet some people. Ok?”

The small fox looked up at him curiously. “who?”

Nick smiled and turned, gesturing to her father and siblings. “this is Judy's family. Can you say hi?”

Finnick grinned and waved at them. “hi!”

She watched as her siblings reacted, Tomas looking to her with a bit of surprise while her younger siblings waved back. Clearing her throat she spoke up. "If we all grab a box this will go a lot faster.”

Her father nodded and soon everyone was carrying a box through the door and into the living room. The next few minutes were occupied by Nick giving everyone a quick tour. followed by a few final words and then saying goodbye and watching as her family drove off heading towards the market. Closing the door behind her Judy smiled as she stepped back into the living room. “you're so amazing. You know that?” 

From where he stood in the kitchen taking a drink Nick looked at her. "I try.”

She smiled at him. “but now is off to bed with you.”

Nick nodded. “yeah yeah. I know. What will you do in the meantime?”

She shrugged. “probably take a shower, maybe mess around online for a while.”

He yawned softly, gently bumping his hips against her as he walked by. “See you when I wake up. Maybe then you can model that little outfit for me then.”

She bumped his hips back. “we’ll see. sleep well.”

She watched as he grinned before vanishing down the hallways, the sound of the bedroom door closing meeting her ears a few moments later. Turning to look at Finnick Judy found that the small fox had returned to his cartoon on the tv. Smiling to herself she moved, pulling open the box that had her clothes and grabbing a comfy around the house outfit before heading down the hallway and into the bathroom. She hadn't gotten overly sweaty from packing, but a shower did sound very appealing to her at the moment.

Quickly she stripped down, turning on the small radio Nick had in the bathroom before turning on the water and stepping in. The warm stream of water was heavenly, making her groan softly as she moved under it. Wetting her fur she worked quickly. Working the shampoo into her fur before rinsing it away leaving her clean and smelling vaguely of oranges. Closing her eyes she reached up. Lathering and working the shampoo through the fur on her head and ears. The world around her become muffled and echoey, a result of the suds building up. 

 

============

============

 

“need help washing your back Carrots?”

She half jumped at the voice, startled by it; having not heard him slip into the shower behind her. “n-n-nick… gods you startled me.”

Her eyes were still closed the suds and lather preventing her from opening them, lest she get soap in them. Behind her Nick chuckled, his arms going to her sides to gently pull her back against him. “awww. I sorry. Let me make it up to you.” as he spoke Nick let out a soft purr, his hands drifting down to her hips. She groaned softly under his touch. 

“b-but you're supposed to be resting.”

This time he growled into her ear, making her shiver slightly from the sound. “later. I'd rather do this.” his paws drifted up, gently coming up to cup and massage her chest.

“mmmmmmm.”

She groaned again, her head rolling back gently resting against his shoulder as his fingers worked. After a Few moment Nick spoke softly into her ear. “lets get that soap out of your fur. I wanna see your eyes.”

Her heart did an odd flutter at his words, nevertheless she allowed him to maneuver her, slowly turning her against so they were facing each other before his paws went to her back. She leaned her head back, allowing his paws to support her as her head and ears dipped under the stream of water. She worked quickly, turning her head, running her paws through her fur; washing away the suds and lather until she could open her eyes without them stingin-

“there they are.”

A moment later Nick pulled her forward, one of his paws going to the back of her head to guide their lips together. Gods she loved kissing him, the way their lips locked together. The way his scent filled her nose. the way their bodies pressed together, it was almost addicting. She felt him move them a little, turning a pulling under his back was against the wall of the shower. Breaking the kiss Judy groaned as his claws gently ran down her chest and stomach. In front of him Nick grinned, showing her his teeth. He leaned in a moment later slowly moving, planting a soft kiss on her nose, then along her jaw, down her neck, across her shoulders, against her chest, down her stomach, across her hips and finally…

“n-n-Nick…”

She gasped softly, a small shiver of pleasure rippling through her as he kissed then spot just above her womanhood. Below she heard him speak softly. “shhhhh, just enjoy it Carrots.”

A moment later the world shuddered as more pleasure rippled through her. She gasped again, this time a little sharper as she felt him drift that last inch down; plating a soft kiss directly against her sex. One hand came up, steadying herself as she leaning against the wall of the shower, the other hand drifted down running through the fur on the top of his head before drifting to the back of his head and…

She felt him purr in approval, as her hand pressed against the back of his head. She bit her lip, her legs wobbling slightly as she felt his tongue come out, running along her lips edge. 

“aaaaaaaaaaah.”

It was a soft moan, nothing compared to the screams she’d let out before. But it was enough, enough for him to know he was doing the right thing. Enough to make him lean in, tilting his head up while he let the wide flat surface of his tongue run the entire length of her slit. he smiled as he felt her grip on his head tighten a bit, he repeated the motion earning himself another moan. He toyed with her like this, teasing her entrance with his tongue, lapping sideways and up and down making her gasp and groan as her arousal grew. He could taste it, the sharp musky flavor of her, an indicator of just how much she was enjoying this. Above him she was panting now, her hand pressed against the back of his head urging more from him. A command he was happy to fulfill.

He started out slow, lapping at her sex before slowly narrowing his tongue, making it smaller and smaller until-

The sound of her inhaling sharply reached his ears. His paws coming up to gently steady her legs as they shook. Above him he heard her moan deeply, the sound of her voice shaking from the new feelings of pleasure rushing through her.

“n-n-n-n-n-Niiiick…”

He pressed gently forward, allowing more and more of his tongue to slip inside her. Her insides squirmed and writhed trying to clamp down and hold his tongue in place. Still he let more slip inside her, allowing his tongue to stretch as far as it would go into her quivering body. Above him she moaned again, shifting slightly so her head could rest against the wall of the shower. He held her there, using his grips on her legs to keep her from pulling away as she adjusted to the new sensations. He could feel the tremors in her lips, no doubt pleasure making it hard for her to stand. Her breathing had become ragged, each breath shaking and sounding like a half gasp half moan. He loved it. Loved know he was making her feel this way. Loved-

Her hips moved a little, not away from him but closer. Gently rolling against his face making his tongue shift a little inside her. Above him she moaned again. He started to move, gently wriggling and thrusting his tongue inside her, listening closely to the sounds she made and using them to guide him. This wasn't about him, he didn't care about his own pleasure. this was about her, about making her feel as good as possible. About wanting to hear her moan his name and feel her quivering and shaking as he held her. And he was going to do everything he could to make her do those things.

“oooooh… g-gooooods….”

She pressed her forehead against the wall of the shower, the feelings of pleasure rushing through her body making her tremble. It felt weird… also really good… really REALLY fucking good. Her hips moved on their own, rolling back and forth making his tongue dance and squirm inside her. Her toes curled and uncurled feeling the pleasure inside her grow stronger. She groaned again, struggling to keep her breathing under control as he kept up his ministrations. Gods it felt good, so so soooooo good. Her insides throbbed and pulsed around his tongue, making it somehow feel thicker, bigger, longer and hotter than she knew it was. The flames in her stomach roared to life, her hips speeding up the movements making her toes curl and her fingers clench into a fist. 

“n-n-n-niiiiick…..”

She could feel his breath on her hips, his hands holding her legs and keeping her upright. Gods his touch felt so good. Her hips sped up again, her breath catching in her chest as she felt the ball of fire in her gut start to condense. Her shaking grew stronger, her eyes clamping shut desperately as she tried to push back against it. Her resistance only made things feel better. His tongue slipping a hair's width deeper inside her, but feeling like a whole other inch had slipped in. She was finding it hard to keep her breathing under control, her breath being forced out of her lungs the moment it had filled them. Her fingers curled around the fur on the back of his head as the ball of fire grew smaller and smaller and smaller until…

Suddenly her hips surged forward. Unceremoniously pushing Nicks head back so it was against the wall of the shower, pinning him in place. He didn't struggle or resist, instead his grip on her legs tightened, pulling her closer to him as her insides clamped down on her tongue. He could feel her spasming around his tongue. Her womanhood quivering as her climax slammed into her. A second later he growled, the feeling of her fingers pulling at his fur making him shudder slightly. He kept his tongue moving, gentle waves and laps helping to extend Judy's climax as well as earn him several more of the moans and gasps he'd learned to crave. His actions earned him a chorus of moans and whimpers and gasps and groans, each of them more perfect than the next. Slowly Judys moans began to weaken, her hips shaking more and more as her strength began to ebb away. 

Slowly he withdrew his tongue from her body, planting soft kisses around her sex before traveling upwards. He held her closely, feeling her shudder as shake as her climax slowly rode itself out. Nuzzling her neck gently Nick held her, allowing her to lean against him until her strength slowly returned to her.

 

==========

===========

 

“oh….. my….. g-gods….”

She was panting, her legs still wobbly from the force of the oragsm shed just endured. She sagged against Nicks chest, her mind still reeling from the ghosts of pleasure that rippled and wafted through her body. Softly she felt Nick's paws come up, running along her back soothingly while he showered kisses along her neck and shoulders. Gods her heart was pounding in her chest and it felt like it took ages for her strength to return. But slowly it did, her legs becoming firmer and wobbling less until she was able to stand on her own. 

Softly he spoke. “now that that part of you is clean. How about I wash your back now?”

A moment later she started to giggle. She wasn't exactly sure what was so fun. Shed just had an incredible orgasm, she was standing here leaning against the person she loved. And he was calmly speaking as if they'd just calmly washed each other's shoulders. After a few moments she managed to respond to his question. “only if after that I can wash yours.”

Instantly she felt Nick stiffen against her. “NO.”

She blinked, the sudden harshness of his voice startling her. “Ni-Nick?”

He pulled away from her taking a step back, his expression cold and empty. "I don't like people touching my back.”

She staggered slightly, the suddenly loss of her support making her grip the ledge of a small shelf built into the shower. She bit her lip, trying to think of something to say to him. Shed clearly done something that had offended him. his eye were narrowed and his tail was lashing from side to side, agitatedly. Slowly she reached out for him meaning to touch his shoulder reassuringly. “n-nick i'm s-”

But he cut her off, his voice sharp and… scared. "Ihavetogo. Excuse me.”

 

Her eyes widened as he moved, turning away from her and stepping out of the shower. A moment later she heard the door to the bathroom open and then shut sharply, leaving her alone her mind struggling to figure out what she had done wrong.


	13. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok folks.   
> This story has been completely reuploaded to the point it was at before it got deleted. 
> 
> be sure to subscribe if you want updates   
> be sure to also subscribe to my profile so you'll be notified when i update my other stories.

“Judy… where's daddy?”

She bit her lip, swallowing nervously at the question. In truth… she didn't know. It had almost three hours now since she and Nick had… had a fight? Was that what they had? It didn't feel like it had been a fight… it felt like… she’d offended him. But… what had she done? All she’d done was offered to wash him back. That had seemed simple enough, he'd even offered to wash hers first in her post orgasmic bliss. So then why… 

"I... I'm not sure Finnick. But I think he'll be back soon.”

She busied herself with her laptop, her fingers rapidly working along the keyboard. She'd been online since he'd left, her attention flitting from site to site but not actually seeing any of them. She'd gone from her email, to information about Nick's cancer, back to emails, to a website about dating advice for interspecies couples, to a website about dating a person with a terminal illness, back to cancer research and lastly back to emails. She was doing her best not to panic, mentally praying that Nick would come back soon so they could talk. He'd never run from her before. He'd never just closed himself off and vanished like that. By the time she'd pulled on clothes and left the bathroom she'd just barely heard the front door closing as he'd left the house. And now-

"Is daddy at the doctors again?”

Those words made her pause, a frown wrinkling her face as she closed her laptop to look at Finnick. The small fox was sitting on the floor, watching tv as he'd been doing since they'd gotten back from her packing at her parent’s. Now fenNick had turned to look at her, his face showing an emotion shed not seen him show before; worry. Biting her lip Judy chose her words carefully. “what do you mean?”

Finnick was silent for a few moments before responding. “daddy… hasn't been well… for a while… he gets sick… and tired… and sometimes… he has to go to a doctor, but he doesn't want people to see. Is… is he at the doctor's now?”

Her eyes widened. She hadn't expected the young for to know about Nick being sick. He'd certainly never given any indication that he did. In fact he'd always seemed like a normal happy go lucky child. “no Finnick. Daddy isn't at the doctor. He just… need to go for a walk.”

She watched as Finnick looked at the floor for a moment before. “did… did I do something?”

Judy felt her heart clench painfully at his words. She could remember being that young, feeling like everything that went wrong or was bad was somehow her fault. Setting her laptop aside she patted the couch next to her. “come here Finnick.”

The small fox did as she asked, standing and moving up onto the couch to sit next to her. Gently she reached out, carefully picking Finnick up before hugging him gently against her.  “No, You didn't do anything wrong. I promise.”

After a few moments Finnick hugged her back gently. "Is daddy gonna get better?”

She hugged him a little tighter, her heart aching slightly at the question. He was much too young to be worrying about these kinds of things. He should have been running and playing. Or worrying about what to do if he caught kooties from a girl. Not if his ‘father’ was sick or at the doctors. Holding him against her chest Judy spoke softly. "I'm sure he will. It just… is gonna take time. But I know he loves seeing you happy. I'm sure that helps him a lot.”

She felt him grip her shirt a little tighter. "I want daddy to be happy.”

She bit her lip, willing herself not to start crying. she managed to succeed in that but failed to keep tears from welling up in her eyes. "I want that too.”

 

\---------

 

The sun had almost completely set now. She was starting to get very worried. She tried to call Nick's phone, but got no response. She tried texting him, but got no replies. She considered calling her parents and asking them to help her look for him, but truthfully without knowing where Nick was, there was little hope they'd find him. So she'd focused on other things, making dinner for her and Finnick, reading Finnick a story and then putting the little fox to bed. That had been… over an hour ago. Now she was sitting on the couch, her legs folded under her while she again found herself absentmindedly jumping from website to website. 

_ Nick, where are y- _

Suddenly the sound of the front door lock clicking open reached her ears. She practically sent her laptop flying with how fast she leapt to her feet. She bolted from the living room, charging into the hallway to see…

She watch silently as Nick slid down the front door until he was sitting on the floor. After a moment he pulled his knees against his chest and wrapped his arms around them. She wanted to say something, anything. To say she was sorry, to chastise him for running off like that, to yell and tell him how worried she and Finnick had been. And yet she remained silent, watching as he took a deep breath before leaning his head back against the door. "I'm sorry.”

His voice was so quiet she almost didn't hear what he'd said. She watched as he looked at her, his eyes… 

With a jolt she found that his eyes were bloodshot.  _ Has he been crying? _

"I... I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry Judy. I... I shouldn't have…” she watched as his sides shook and tears started to well up in his eyes. "If… if you… if you want to… move… out… i'll understand.”

Her eyes widened. “what? No, Nick,” she moved forward, slowly getting to her knees so she was level with him. "I don't want that Nick. I just… what did I do?”

She watched as he took a deep breath. His eyes closing as more tears trickled down the sides of his face. “n-nothing… y-you didn't do anything… I...” he took another breath. "I... I was… scared…”

She blinked at him, slightly surprised by his answer. “of what?”

In front of her Nick moved, his head pressing against his knees as a low whimper escaped him. A second later Judy's eyes widened, her mind flashing back to the first night she'd stayed her, when Nick had had a panic attack in the bathroom.  _ Nick… _

She moved forward slowly, putting herself just in front of him before reaching out to gently touch his leg. “shhhhhh. Its ok Nick. You don't have to be scared.”

He whimpered again, his voice muffled as he spoke. "I... I don't want you to go…”

She nodded. "I'm not. Nick I'm not going anywhere. I promise.” as she spoke she moved, slowly shifting until she was sitting next to him. She reached out, guiding him to lean against her. her heart clenched as she found he was shaking. Not as badly as he had the first time, but still enough to make her hold him tightly. She felt him move against her, his pants gripping her shirt tightly. 

“pl-please… do-don't go…”

She held him close. “shhhhhh. Breath Nick. I'm not going to leave. But… I want to know… what were you scared of. Can you tell me?”

She felt him taking deep breaths, clearly struggling with himself for several moments before, "I... I d-didn't… want it… to hurt…”

She blinked, again in surprise. “hurt? What would hurt Nick? How would me washing your back…” her voice trailed off. She knew Nicks back was covered in scars, he'd shown them to her the night they'd first slept together. Slowly something began to occuring to her. She’d assumed his scars were like hers, the skin partial numb from how dense it was. But… now… could it be? “Nick… are your scars hypersensitive?”

He nodded after a moment. She groaned, the sudden realization of what had happened dawning on her. His scars were hypersensitive. Which meant that if people weren't careful then when they touched them it would cause him pain. That explained why he took pain medication everyday. Without it his scars caused him pain. She felt her stomach squirm in quilt. They rushed out of the house so quickly this morning, he must have forgotten to take it. And then he'd sat in her dads truck for almost two hours.  _ Oh gods… he must have been in agony.  _ She closed her eyes, willing her own emotions to stay calm. Even now, years after the abuse he'd suffered… he was still suffering. “Nick… I'm sorry. I... I won't try to touch them. I promise.”

She watched as he moved. Slowly look lifting his head to look at her. “n-n-no… I...” she watched as he took a deep shuddering breath "I... I... I want y-you… to wash my back.”

She looked at him with concern. “Nick… are you sure? I don't want to hurt you.”

He took another breath, his side still shaking. “p-please… I... don't… wanna be scared… anymore.”

She felt her heart clench again. But she forced herself to nod. “ok Nick. I'll do it. Can… can you stand?”

He nodded slowly moving to stand as she did so too. Gently she took took his paw, squeezing it softly. “Nick… I love you. You know I was never hurt you, right?”

He nodded. “y-yeah.”

She took his hand, slowly guiding him down the hallway and back into the bathroom before closing the door behind then. Slowly they both stripped, with Nick finishing first, slowly stepping into the shower and turning on the water as Judy finished removing the last of her clothes. She paused for a moment, turning the radio on before flipping through the channels to find some kind of soft soothing music. Eventually she found a channel that fit, some kind of soft jazz station that felt calming. Only then did she move, stepping into the shower behind Nick. Her fox was sitting on the floor of the shower, his knees again drawn against his chest, his ears were flicked down and with his wet fur he looked… miserable. 

She bit her lip, slowly kneeling down behind him. “Nick… we don't have to do this if you… don't want to.”

She watched as he shook his head, his sides shaking slightly as he took a deep breath. “n-no… I... I need to do this… I... it's just…” a fresh wave of trembling washed over him, making him vibrate in front of her. She bit her lip, trying to think of a way to comfort him. Part of her wanted to hug him, but if he was this worried about her touching his scars, then she didn't want to do that until he was ready. Slowly she reached out, gently running her fingers along his tail which was hanging limping on the floor of the shower. “am… am I... ugly… cause of… them?”

She stared at the back of his head. Ugly? Was he ugly? Because of the scars?  _ Gods… he's still just a scared little kit wanting reassurance.  _

“no Nick. You're not ugly. You're so beautiful, in spite of what they did to do to you.” 

She remained silent watching as he took several more deep breaths before speaking. "I... ok… I'm… I'm ready.”

She nodded, moving to pull down the bottle of body wash she knew was his. Slowly she worked the gel into a lather, quickly making her paws soapy. When she looked at him she could see his was still shaking, no doubt scared of the pain he could feel when she touched him. Now that his fur was wet and clinging to him, It seemed as if the scars had grown in size. They seemed bigger, angrier, as if they were feeding of his fear and pain. She bit her lip, her eyes falling on a scar that slanted from Nicks right shoulder across to his shoulder blade. “Nick, I'm gonna touch this one on your right shoulder. Ok?”

She watched as he nodded, a soft whimper slipping out of him a second later. She moved in a little closer, her soapy and lathered paw coming up to gently run along the thick patch of skin. She felt him flinch slightly. Not a sharp flinch like he was in pain. But a startled one of surprise. She made sure to be as gentle as possible, her fur barely touching his skin as she worked. Softly she heard Nick speak. “he… gave me that one… when I didn't finish my dinner.”

Her eyes widened. Such a small thing had earned him this scar? When she'd been a kid she'd refused to eat what had been made for dinner a few times. Her only punishment those times had been being sent to her room without dinner. Once when shed thrown a big tantrum her mother had spanked her. But… this…

She wasn't sure what made her do it. As the water from the shower washed away the suds she leaned in, gently pressing her lips against the patch of thick skin. She felt him gasp softly at the contact. “j-j-Judy…”

She kissed the scar softly while her paws slowly drifting to another scar, continuing to be gentle as she soaped that one too. “you're so beautiful Nick. No matter what you think, no matter what they did to you. You are beautiful and I love you.”

The pattern slowly repeated. Her soaping and gently washing his scars. Under his breath he tells her about each one. The list of things he'd done… gods it makes her stomach churn and her blood boil. Not finishing his food, being to noisy, not sleeping when he was told to, talking back, breaking a lamp, running away, yelling; all of them so minor, so childish. Shed done several of them when shed been a young doe. Shed been scolded sure, once or twice even punished but… not scared. But him… for such trival, minor misdemeanors he'd been scarred for life, literally. As the soap washes away from each one she kisses the scar, willing him to believe her words as she tell him he's beautiful, that she loves him. 

Resoaping her paws Judy smiled softly. He wasn't shaking anymore, he almost seemed relaxed. “you ok?” 

She watched as he nodded slowly. "I... I guess… I don't know. Y-your paws… are softer than mine...but I... I still feel scared. Like… like I'm not worthy of you. But… but I want to be. I really… want-.”

She moved in closer, pulling Nick back gently so he was leaning back against her chest in a soft embrace from behind. “Nick, You ARE worthy. You're the kindest, most caring, most loving person i've ever met. You're worthy Nick Wilde, cause I say you are.” she held him close, willing him to understand just how much she meant it. She felt him shift, his paw coming up to rest on one of hers tentatively. “Nick… can I show you something?”

She felt him move, looking at her over his shoulder. “what is it?”

She bit her lip. She wasn't sure this was the best idea. It could make things worse or… or maybe… it would give them at least some kind of common ground. She let him go as she spoke. “turn and look at me.”

He did as she asked, turning to look at her. She reached out, taking his paw into hers gently. “when I was growing up, there was this fox who lived in bunnyburrow. His name was Gideon Grey. He was a year or so older than me and… he was… not a nice person.”

She bit her lip as Nick's ears flicked back. "I... I'm sorry.”

She shook her head, keeping her grip on his paw. “one day, during the carrot day festival… I saw him picking on some little kids and… I told him to stop. He… didn't like that and shoved me, I kicked him and…” slowly she brought Nick's paw to the side of her face, guiding his fingers through her fur so they could… She watched as his eyes widened as his fingers brushed the scars gideon had left her. “he clawed me.” she watched as a wave of emotions flickered across Nick's face. Gently she leaned into his paw, letting his fingers run the length of the scars. 

She felt her heart lurch as tears welled up in his eyes. “j-Judy… oh go-gods… I... I... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.”

She shook her head, keeping his paw against her face. “no. Nick you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do this.”

She could feel him trying to pull away. “b-but… I... when we… I used… I... I didn't know...”

She nodded. “yes Nick, when we slept together you used your claws. But you know what?” she leaned in, willing him to understand. "I trust you. I know you wouldn't hurt me. And… when it's you… I like it.”

He was looking at her, worry still displayed in his features. After a few moments he spoke softly. "I... I'd never hurt you… on purpose Judy… I...”

She nodded. "I know. You're NOTHING like Gideon, Nick. I know you'd never hurt me. I know.” He squirmed a little in front of her, clearly still unsure of how to react with what he'd learned. She bit her lip softly. “Nick… look at me.”

Slowly his eyes moved to her’s, their gazes meeting. “Judy… I... I'm...”

But she shook her head. “No. No more sorrys Nick. I love you, claws and all. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I don't regret a moment of what has happened. So please… believe me.”

He looked at her silently for a few moments before nodding slowly. “o-ok… I believe you.”

She nodded firmly. “Good.” She continued to hold his paw to her face, feeling his thumb gently stroke her cheek. “Nick… I love you.”

He reacted to that, pulling her against him so their lips could touch in a gentle kiss. 

"I love you more Judy.”

 

\-------

 

Sunday came, bringing with it a kind of lazy energy that permeated everything Judy did. She woke up slowly, easily taking 15 minutes to just open her eyes. She was so happy, so content with the moment. She wished it could last forever. She could feel Nicks arm around her shoulders, his breath wafting gently between her ears. When she inhaled his scent filled her lung making her almost dizzy. She moved in a bit closer, her nose going to his neck fluff in a soft nuzzle. She loved this, this feeling. Waking up next to someone. It was heavenly. Gently she ran her paws through fur, savoring the soft warm fe-

“that tickles Carrots.” She blinked, watching as a smile spread across his face before his eyes opened. He'd been watching her? She felt him pull her in a little closer, his own nose going to her neck where she felt it twitch and nuzzle her while his paws ran along his chest. “see?”

She giggled at the conduct, indeed feeling his nose and hands tickle her. “sorry. Couldn't help it. You're just so….” she ran her paws over his chest again. “... tempting.” as she spoke her paws again ran along his chest. She smiled as he groaned softly. A second later it was her turn to groan. a shiver running up her spine as she felt his paw come up to gently rest against her lower back and the base of her tail. “Judy… I...” she watched as he looked at her. "I want… to say thank you… for… for last night… I... I really fucked up and-”

His words ended as she pressed her lips to his in a tender kiss. After a few seconds she pulled away, a soft smile covering her face. “Nick, I already forgave you. I... I won't pretend to know what it's like. But… I'm here for you.”

Emotion flickered over his face. A second later his lips returned to hers in another tender kiss. She groaned gently into the kiss, savoring every detail of how it felt. His lips were so soft, yet also rugged. His chest rose as fell, pressing and rubbing against hers. His paw came up, gently pressing against the back of her head, helping the kiss to deepen for a moment. “what did I ever do to deserve someone like you?”

She smiled at him, laying her head against his chest. “you got lucky.”

He chuckled softly, the sound making his chest rise and fall. His hand came up, pressing against her back, pulling her in closer. It was heaven, it truly was. There was no other way to describe it.  He was warm, happy, with his arm around the girl he loved more than anything else in the world. Nuzzling the top of her head he spoke softly. “Carrots… I want to spend the rest of my time with you. If it's the next five minutes or the next five years. I don't wanna waste a second of it. I wanna be with you as much as I can.”

She looked at him. "I... I want that too Nick.”

She watched as he sighed softly, looking down at her. “then… I think… I'm going to dropout of school.”

She bit her lip, her heart jumping several beats. “a-are you sure?”

Nick nodded. “yeah. I'm sure. I'll understand if you still want to go. Gods know your grades are better than mine. I don't wanna jeopardize your future but…”

His voice trailed off softly. After a few moments Judy spoke. “no. No if you drop out then so do I.”

He looked at her, concern in his face. “are you sure?”

She nodded, feeling a smile spread across her face. “yeah. I'm sure. It's not like I can't go back and finish. Or I can take online courses. Or…” she pressed her face against his chest. "I can spend every waking moment with the best fox in the whole world.”

She felt his arms close in around her, pulling her up so they were face to face. Their lips met again, a soft gentle loving kiss that made her heart soar and his beat faster. "I love you.”

She nuzzled his neck softly. "I love you too.”

She pressed against him, savoring this moment, etching every detail of it into her mind. She was nervous, yes. dropping out was a huge decision, one that would have long and far reaching consequences for her. But as she lay there pressed against him she found that she honestly didn't care. The last few days had reminded her, Nick wasn't going to there forever. Eventually her time with him would run out and he… would…

She grip him tighter, pressing her face harder against his chest. No. No she wouldn't think about that now. She'd savor this. Being here, with him. Feeling him against her. Feeling his love for her surrounding her in every way. The future would come, there was no stopping it. But… she could enjoy the now, here with him.

"It will probably only be the next few days.”

She pulled back, her eyes widened as she looked at him. She felt her heart stop and her blood run cold.  _ Is he… does he mean… _

She watched as he grinned at her. “cause you parents are gonna kill me when they find out about this.”

A moment later they both were laughing.

 

\-----------

 

Sitting on his bed Jack listened as the phone rang. After three rings the line connected. “hello?”

_ Play it cool Jack. Tomas might not know what happened. Just be smooth. _ “hey Tomas its Jack.”

There was silence for a moment before Tomas responded. “Jack, are you looking for Judy?”

He blinked, “uh… yeah… is she aro-”

But Tomas cut him off. “Jack you stay the fuck away from my sister. She doesn't want to talk to you anymore. don't you EVER call here again.”

A moment later then line went dead. His grip on the phone tightened in anger. A moment later he threw it across the room where it exploded against the wall. Enough was enough. This had gone far enough. Tomorrow he was going to find her and make her see reason.


	14. True Colors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All you 'formerly' sad pandas better enjoy this chapter  
> is the last smutty one in the story

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the train, which rattled and vibrated slightly as it moved along its track. It was an oddly surreal sensation if she was being honest. Across from her she could see girls her age, no doubt on their way to school. She was sure her own siblings were on their train and on their way to school. And yet… she wasn't. Next to her she felt Nick move, his paw going to hers before giving it a small squeeze. She looked at him, his expression telling her he was feeling the same way. As the train pulled into the station they stood up, Nick's arm going to scoop Finnick up before carrying him from the train. That was something Nick had been adamant about. He could drop out, that was his choice after all. And she could drop out, that was her choice. But Finnick would continue going to school, that was NOT up for debate. Of course she agreed with that. So here they were, seeing the small fox off to school just as Nick had done for years. She watched as he kissed the smaller fox on the head and told him to have a good day. The smaller fox giggled and hugged Nick's leg, moving to run off towards the building before stopping and-

Judy's eyes widened as the smaller fox hugged her, his arms wrapping around her waist tightly for a moment. After her initial shock wore off she moved, leaning over slightly to return his hug before watching him run off with the other kids. Next to her Nick chuckled, “he's taken a liking to you I think.”

She smiled at that. "I'm glad.”

She turned to look at him, finding that he was looking at her. “what do you wanna do now?”

Nick shrugged. “suppose we should go clean out our lockers?”

She smiled and nodded. “y-yeah.”

he looked at her sideways. “you sure you wanna do this? You don't have to stop going.”

She shook her head, her paw and fingers going to rest in his. "I want to. I wanna spend all the time in the world with you.”

A smile flickered across his face as he drifted a little closer to her. “can I kiss you?”

She blinked, slightly started by the question. He'd never asked permission before. Then again… they'd never kissed in public before. Around them other parents were seeing their children off, the kids laughing and running towards the school building while the adults watched. It was kind of thrilling if she was honest. She nodded, and a moment later she grinned as he picked her up; bringing them face to face before pressing their lips together. She'd never tire of this feeling. Of his lips on hers, of her paws holding her. She loved this feeling, almost as much as she loved him. It was just perfect, like something out of a dream. She could hear some of the parents murmuring, no doubt shocked by the display of affect between them. Of a bunny and fox, predator and prey kissing. Some of them would no doubt be against them being together. They'd been lucky so far that only Jill seemed seriously opposed. She held the kiss even as her paw moved, lifting away from its spot on Nick's back as her middle finger came up to gesture to the whispering parents. She felt Nick chuckle into the kiss, breaking it a moment later in a grin. “you flipping them off?

She grinned and nodded. “fuck yeah.”

He grinned again before kissing her again. She shivered at this kiss. Feeling his tongue brush against her lips which opened a moment later. Her paws went back to his shoulders groaning and tugging on them as their tongue brushed and rubbed and danced together. Her breath was becoming ragged now, small smolders of want starting to burn inside her. After several second she managed to break away, a thin strand of saliva still connecting their lips. Forcing herself to take several calming breath she spoke. “come on. Let's hurry and get out stuff so we can go home.” she leaned in, breathing huskily into one of his ears as she whispered. "I'll show you that little outfit you found.”

She grinned as she felt the shiver ripple through him, his ears flicking straight up and his fur standing on end. After a few seconds he grinned at her. “deal.”

He kept her like that for a moment longer, holding her against him while looking at her. Behind her the morning sun was shining down on  them, making her almost look like an angel. Part of him wanted to stay here like this. Holding her in his arms, feeling her against him. She made everything better. Since she'd come into his life she'd made him feel so happy. He'd long ago written off finding love. No one would want to love someone who was dying, someone who was as scared and broken, someone who had a child. But she'd proved him wrong. She'd smashed that idea and shown him that she did love him, even after she'd learned the truth about him and his condition. He grinned up at her, his smile stretching from ear to ear. "I love you.”

He watched as she smiled back, leaning in to kiss him again in a much tamer way than the last kiss. "I love you too.” 

 

\--------

 

In truth she didn't have much to get from her locker. Most of her texts book she'd have to turn in to the office. A few notebooks and pens. A couple of small little baubles she'd collected over the year. A small mirror stuck to the door of her locket. with each item that she put into her bag she felt a surge of emotion well up inside her. She didn't regret this, she wanted to spend as much time as she could with Nick. And what she had said was true, he shouldn't spend the the time he had in school if he didn't enjoy it. At the same time… this was a big change. Her parents… they would need to be convinced, which meant possibly… telling them about Nick's condition. She’d had to talk with him about that. And… there was no doubt in her mind that this would affect her ability to get into a college. She'd never admitted it to anyone, but Nick's assessment of her during their meeting had been more accurate than she'd have liked. She was hoping to get into a good college, one that was far away from her family. This would certainly affect that. any college she applied for would want to know why she had taken this bre-

“Judy.” 

She blinked the sound of her name shaking her from her thoughts and; her expression darkened as she found a familiar rabbit standing next to her locket. “Jack, What do you want?”

He frowned at her. “to talk to you.”

She rolled her eyes and went back to her locker, pulling out several loose papers and stuffing then into her bag. “well I DON'T. So goodbye.”

She felt him bristle at her words. “Judy, you can't just not talk to me. We're friends.”

She turned to glare at him “we were. But then you turned out to be a speciest Jackass. So now we're not. And yeah, yeah I can Jack. Now fuck off and leave me alone.”

She watched as his face flickered, an expression of anger slipping across his features. “stop swearing Judy. I'm trying to be serious.”

She shook her head and back to her locker. “go away Jack I do-”

A second later she jumped as Jack stepped forward, slamming her locker closed before grabbing her arm and spinning her to look at him. “ENOUGH Judy! We are going to talk now!”

The sudden increase in Jack's voice started her, making her eyes widen as he glared at her. A moment later her own glare met his. “no Jack we’re no-HEY!”

She yelped in surprise as Jack stepped forward forcing her backwards until her back hit her locker. A second later Jack moved in front of her, half pinning her against the locker while his paw planted itself next to her head. She felt her heartbeat spike. Jack had never been like this with her before. Her arm actually ached from where he'd grabbed her and her eyes widened at the expression of anger on his face. For a moment her eyes flickered around the hallway, they were alone. Of course they were alone, it was 7:45 in the morning, halfway through first period. 

In front of her Jack took a deep breath. “this stops now. I don't know what wilde has told you, but I know it's part of some elaborate con he's pulling, but it stops NOW.”

She growled at him, her teeth gnashing together. “he's no-”

Jack cut her off, his voice growing louder. “DO NOT INTERRUPT ME WHEN I AM TALKING JUDY! YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH WILDE ENDS NOW. GOT IT?” Again her eyes widened. Had Jack always been like this? When they'd grown up he'd always been so calm, so collected. He'd almost never yelled or been violent. But now… now for the first time she actually found herself… afraid of him. She bit her lip, willing her heartbeat to return to normal. Jack seemed to take her silence as acceptance. “good. I'm glad we understand each other. I'm sorry it had to come to this, but Wilde is a liar and cannot be trusted.”

Jack's words made her eyes narrow. “no he's not.” a fire had bloomed in her chest. In her mind’s eyes she saw his scars, the ones that he'd earned for doing things that any child had done. Images of him raising Finnick alone. Imagines of him slumped over the toilet vomiting so violently his sides shook. Anger burned in her veins as her glare hardened. “you don't know ANYTHING about Nick.”

Jack glared at her. “and you do? What stories has he told you? What proof does he have to back them up?”

She ground her teeth together again, her paws balling into fists. “hes shown me PLENTY of proof. Enough that I believe him over you! You say he's a lier, but i've not found a single time he's lied to me, even when he had the chance.”

Jack growled at her. “BECAUSE HE'S A GOOD LIER JUDY. BECAUSE HE'S RUNNING SOME CON OR SOME SCAM ON YOU AND YOU'RE TOO BLIND TO SEE IT!” she watched as Jack moved in closer, their faces inches apart. "I'm sorry Judy. That fox is no good. So st-”

More anger flooded her system, making her snarling at him. “fuck you Jack!”

Jacks eyes narrowed in anger, his fur bristling. After a few seconds he spoke. “ever since he's showed up you've been different. You swear, you cop attitude, you turned your back on your real friends. This is not the way you're supposed to be Judy.”

She glared back at him, determined not to back down even though her heart was hammering with a combination of fear and anger. “and how am I supposed to be Jack? Some quiet little doe who doesn't think and is just an airhead? Should I care more about fashion and boys than classes? I'm not Jill. I'll never be like that.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “stop putting words in my mouth Judy. I never said you had to be like Jill. That's one of the reasons I like you, you're NOT Jill.”

Now she rolled her eyes, becoming annoyed. “so what then? Am I supposed to fawn over you? Tell you how hot you are? How sexy you look? How all I can think about is ripping your pants off and sucking your cock and riding it like i'm in heat screaming how I wanna have your kits?” she felt a small surge of triumph as Jack's face shifted with embarrassment. “well guess what Jack. I DON'T. I don't think of you like that. You used to be my oldest friend, but now; now you're just a bully and a speciest. Now get out of my way!”

When she moved to get away Jack again grabbed her arm, forcefully keeping her where she was. “damn it Judy i'm trying to protect you!”

She snarled at him again, trying to break his grip on her arm. "I'M NOT YOURS TO PROTECT!”

she barely had time to process his response of “yes you are.” a moment later she felt his lips press against hers, her head pinned between the locker and him. Her eyes went wide and for a moment she froze. Jack was kissing her. Jack WAS KISSING HER! A second later her body reached, her paws going to Jack’s chest; trying to push him away as she squirmed under the kiss. This was wrong. This was so wrong! So very very VERY wrong. Everything about the kiss was wrong. Jack's lips were rough and controlling, nothing like Nick's soft warm lips. They pressed possessively against hers making her feel trapped. His scent flooded her nose, much to sweaty and musky; not at all like Nick's calming smell. The kiss didn't feel loved, it felt like he was trying to claim her. And When she found she couldn't get away she moved, readying herself to drive her knee up into Jack's crotch just as Tomas had shown her how t-

A second later Jack's lip vanished. Breathing shakily Judy watched as Jack staggered away, slamming into the lockers on the opposite wall with a bang from the force that he'd been grabbed and thrown by. Nick was there now, his fur standing on end, his hackles raised, his teeth bared and his claws out; his eyes were narrowed to slits and she could practically feel the anger radiating off him. “DON'T. YOU. TOUCH. HER.” his voice shook with barely controlled rage. 

Across from them Judy watched as Jack's eyes narrowed in anger. “Wilde, funny how you always show up when I wanna talk to Judy alone. Your like a stalker.”

Nick growled, not a civilized warning growl but a deep angry feral growl that made a shiver flicker through Judy's body. Nick's voice was low as he spoke, not raising to Jack's comment. “Jack if I ever EVER see you force yourself on Judy or ANYONE else, I will put you in the hospital!”

Jack smirked at him. "I'd love to see you try that pelt **.** ”

Judy's eyes widened at the use of such a horrible insult. Next to her Nick growled again, his teeth still bared in rage. “don't tempt me Jack, you have no idea how badly I wanna hurt you right now.” as he spoke Nicks claws flexed in and out.

This time Jack laughed. “nothing's stopping you PELT. Let's settle this once and for all!”

The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. A fight in the hallway would for sure draw the attention of teachers, and possibly the school security officer. That on its own was bad enough. But more than that, it could cause serious injury to Nick. In all her research on Nick's condition she'd seen repeated talk of how people with leukemia had issues with clotting blood when they got hurt. And by Nick's own admission he could bleed for hours after having been injured. A normal punch or kick could leave Nick with a nasty bruise. But if Jack managed to get in a lucky shot it could lead to internal damage and possible bleeding that need could need serious medical attention to stop. She watched as Nick's claws flexed again, his stance changing as if-

“no!” she reached out, grabbing Nick's arm to hold him back. “Nick don't.”

He turned to look at her. She could see the anger in his face, his barred teeth and his slitted eyes made his rage clear. But also… she could see protectiveness in his expression. She bit her lip, shaking her head to him. “he's not worth it.” she looking to Jack, speaking firmer to him. “You're not worth it.”

Jack snarled at her, his face twisting in anger at her words. With a snarl he mo-

“what's going on here?”

The new voice made them all jerk, their heads turning to look at the towering cape buffalo that seemed to have materialized out of thin air. When no one answered Bogo huffed. "I asked what's going on here?”

It was Judy who spoke, nervously stammering as the security officer's gaze settled on her. “n-nothing. Just as f-fight.”

Bogo huffed again. “clearly. You,” he pointed to Nick. “put those away this instant. You're not a savage.” across from them Jack smirked. “and you,” Bogo pointed to Jack. “don't think I didn't hear you egging him on. How DARE you use such language.” Jack's smirk vanished.

After a few moments Nick's fur smoothed, his hackles going down while his claws receded. Bogo looked between them. “now then. Why don't you all go to where you're supposed to be and we'll forget all about this?”

For a moment no one moved. Across from them Jack glared and Nick, with Nick meeting the angry gaze with his own. Gently Judy tugged on Nick's arm which she was still holding. “come on.”

Her voice was softer than she'd meant it to be, almost in a pleading tone. But it seemed to break Nicks anger. He looked at her, his expression clearly worried. After a few moments he nodded. “o-ok.”

She looked to Jack who glared at her for a moment before being blocked from sight by Bogo who moved to stand between them “you. Move.”

She couldn't help but smirk a little at the admonishment Jack had gotten. Quickly she pulled Nick from the hallway. Both of them heading towards the office to turn in their textbooks. 

 

\----------

 

“are you ok?”

Those were the first words out of Nick's mouth the moment the school doors had closed behind them. She nodded, looking at him. She could see the worry in his face, the concern clear as day. 

“y-yeah, I'm ok.”

He kept looking at her. “did he hurt you? I sweat if he hurt you-”

She shook her head, noting how Nick's tail had begun to bristle again. “Nick i'm ok. I promise.”

‘ok’ might be a bit of a stretch. She was jittery as they walked, no doubt a combinations of their confrontation with Jack and the turning in of their textbooks having something to do with that. Next to her Nick was still visibly upset, his tail lashing from side to side. Biting her lip Judy moved, stopping and taking Nick's paw into hers. Nick stopped too, looking at her worriedly. "I…”

His voice trailed off as she kissed him, right there in front of the school for anyone who might be looking out of a window to see. It wasn't an aggressive kiss. Nothing like the one they'd shared outside Finnick's school. This one was soft, tender, loving and beautiful. It was everything she wanted from a kiss, making her heart pound, her tail twitch and her breath hitch in her chest. She almost hoped Jack could see them. He'd probably burst a blood vessel. Not that she cared, Jack had shown himself for what he truly was. A bully, a speciest jerk, and a horrible mammal; she didn't even bad about making him mad anymore. After several seconds the kiss broke and she smiled softly at his slightly surprised expression. "I promise Nick, I'm ok.”

She watched as he shifted a little, nodding slowly. "I… ok.”

She smiled at him. Taking his paw into hers and leading him away from the school. “come on. Let's go home.”

 

\------------

 

It was kinda strange being home in the middle of the day. He kept feeling like he should be doing something, going to class or studying. Not that he was complaining, oh no; hid current activities were much MUCH more enjoyable than anything he'd ever done at school.

He groaned softly, the feeling of Judy's paws on his chest feeling heavenly. In front of him Judy chuckled softly. “like it?”

In response he pulled her forward, his lips meeting hers in a deep wanting kiss. He did like it, very very VERY much. The sheer red material laying over her grey fur, the frilly lace accenting her curves, her warmth against him; he love it. LOVED IT. His paws went to her stomach, slipping past the sheer material to run along her soft fur. She moaned softly into the kiss, her chest moving and rubbing against his. The kiss deepened, both of them shivering as their tongues came out to rub against the other’s. A growl rippled through his chest, as he felt his want grow. A moment later she broke the kiss, a smile spreading across her face. “ah ah ah.” He frowned at her, confused for a moment. Why was she-

She crawled along him, her paws going to his chest; pushing him down so he was laid out beneath her. Above him she smiled. “this time is about you Nick.”

he opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by her finger pressing against his lips. A moment later her lips met his again. The kiss deeper, more lustful. It made him shudder, he was already ‘primed’; had been since the front door had closed and she'd dived at him. His lung expanded, inhaling the sweet scent he'd come to know as hers. He loved it. It made his heart beat faster and-

His thoughts came to a halt as she pulled away, breaking the kiss to nip at his jaw. The bite was gentle, not enough to hurt. Yet it sent a ripple of want through him, making his foxhood ache and throb. She seemed to know what she was doing to him, her nibbling drifting lower; his neck, His collarbone, before trailing kisses down his chest, stomach, hips and finally…

He moaned softly as he felt her paws run along the bulge in his boxers. Gods her touch felt good, so good. She chuckled softly, squeezing the bulge again making it throb and grow slightly. He bit his lip, savoring the rushes and tingles that he was feeling. He was needy, yes. But not so needy that he was going to rush her. The expression on her face told him she was enjoying this almost as much as he was, if that was even-

“mmmmmmm!”

His chest vibrated as her paw slipped under the waistband of his boxes, gently tugging them down. His organ sprang up, rigid and ready for any attention she might give it. He didn't have to wait long, small sparks of pleasure jumped through him as he felt her paws go to his base, gently massaging the tissue of his unswollen knot while her nose twitched as brushes along his length for a moment. When she spoke her voice was almost mesmerized. "I love this. How you smell, how you feel. I. LOVE. IT.” she punctuated each word with a tight squeeze of his bulb making his toes curl and his breath shake. His stomach flexed and rippled, his hips wanting to thrust up into her touch. If he really wanted to he could have, even though she was straddling his hips with her full weight he easily could have. But the want was sated a second later by her tongue, the small warm appendage coming out to play.

“haaaaaaaaaaaaa.”

He gasped, his voice wavering and shaking as her tongue lapped and licked along his length. It felt good, so very VERY good. The warmth wetness of her tongue, the way her breath ghosted along his sensitive flesh. But his thoughts vanished, replaced by pleasure as she ran her tongue along his tip. He groaned and gasped, his paws grabbing fistfuls of the sheets under him as she swirled her tongue over his head; no doubt lapping at the pre that he was starting leak. “g-g-go-gods!” her tongue became stronger, more assertive. It swirled and licked at his head before slowly drifting down, running along his shaft; slowly guiding him until-

His head snapped back. His mouth opening but no sound coming out as he felt the beautiful warm wet tightness of her mouth consume his length. The sparks of pleasure became stronger, igniting and combining into a fire that ripped through him, making his nerves tingle and twinge with pleasure. His breathing sped up, his lungs gasping for air as more and more and more of his length slipped into her mouth. His back arched in pleasure his eyes clamping shut as she continued to drift low and lower and lower until with a sudden shuddering realization Nick felt her nose press against his hips. The knowledge broke through the pleasure, a deep shaking shuddering purr vibrating and rippling through his chest. He was completely inside her her muzzle, bulb and all; and it was heaven. Her throat contracted slightly, squeezing his flesh and making his body ache to grab her by the ears and just… give in.

For several seconds she stayed like this, her paws gently running through the fur on his stomach and abs while her warm breath ghosted over his hips and her mouth and throat made his shudder and shake. Then slowly she withdrew, her tongue running his length again as he pulled back until just the tip was against her lips. The loss of contact made him whimper, a desperate want to be return to her mouth filling him so much that he probably would have cried if she'd  told him to. “J-J-ahhhhh!”

His words turned into a moan of pure pleasure as her mouth returned, encasing his foxhood once more in her beautiful warm wet mouth. Slowly she began to build up a rhythm, withdrawing a ways before encasing him once more making him moan and gasp each time. Less than a minute in and his legs were already shaking, his toes curling and flexing unconsciously in pleasure. 

A minute and a half in and he lost control of his voice. His lungs aching as they constantly filled with air only to empty with some explosive gasp or moan of pleasure. It almost felt like he was an instrument that she was learning how to play. 

Two minutes and he stopped understanding the noises he was making. The chorus of moaning gasping purring whimpering churring sounds was impossible to make sense of. Just a feral choir of delightful wanting need. One that she seemed to appreciate as much as he did.

Three minutes and it felt like he was on fire. His fur was drenched in sweat, his tongue hanging from his mouth as if it were 100 degrees outside. The room felt sweltering, the only relief when she withdrew, his slickened and wet length feeling cold for a moment. 

Four minutes in and he felt like he was losing his mind. His tail lashed from side to side. His paws were clenched so tightly on the blankets he was amazed he hadn't ripped them. His back kept arching and flexing in response to her ministrations while his eyes remained painfully closed.

Five minutes he felt like he was going to explode. Every nerve in his body was on fire. All of them screaming a hundred things to him at once. Grab her and fuck her face! Let her have her fun! Bend her over and put a kit, put a dozen kits inside her, NOW! Make her scream! Ask her to marry you! Make sure she swallows every drop! Tell her you love her! Savor this! Don't you dare let her stop!

Six minutes and he was sure he was dead. There was no way he could still be alive. No way anything on earth could feel so good. This was it. He'd died and this was heaven, his own slice of paradise with a Judy who would never leave him. Who he'd be with forever and spend eternity with. 

Seven minutes and he was in hell. He'd died and this was hell and she was some demon. some lustful succubus sent to torment him and pleasure him to the point of insanity for all eternity. Her maddeningly slow consistent pace just enough to move him closer but not enough to send him over the edge yet.

Eight minutes in and His body ached with want. Not just want but NEED. A desperate clawing aching burning itching need to reach his climax. He felt so close yet so impossibly tortuously far away. The pace she was going at was good, but if only-

Nine minutes and she sped up. her head moving faster making him let out a loud strangled grunting gasp as the pleasure grew hotter and sharper. He felt her own claws come out, teasing his skin and making him shiver slightly. She was right, they were fun.

Ten minutes and- “NAAAAA!”

The whimper exploded from his mouth as he felt her pull away. Not as she had done before but completely away, her face moving away from his foxhood entirely before-

Her lips crushed themselves almost painfully against his. Gone was love, gone was romance. Now just a desperate, FRANTIC feral need for release left. His tongue forced its way into her mouth, savagely claiming it. The memory of before, of Jack touching her, kiss her, kissing HIS BUNNY! He growled into the kiss. HIS! SHE WAS HIS! He grabbed her hips and spun around, pushing her against the bed as they broke apart. Every fiber in his existence was telling him to do it, and by the look of her every fiber in her's was saying the same thing. His paws went to her thighs, pushing them apart even as she spread them herself. He was going to claim her. Claim her so no other male would touch her or kiss her or even look at her! All that stood between him and her was her panties, the soft red lacy frilly material was beautiful. The way it hugged her hips. The way it accented her curves. The way it was currently soaking wet. He'd never hated an article of clothing so much in his entire life. 

He didn't even bother to pull them off. His thumb hooked the side of them, pulling them roughly aside releasing a wave of her sent that almost sent him into a frenzy. In a swift movement he guided himself to her entrance, the top of his foxhood pressing against her befo-

Her arms wrapped around his neck, a desperate grip that brought her closer to him. One of his paws went to the back of her head, forcing her lips up against his in a possessive kiss while his other paw went to her rear. He felt her jerk as his fingers closed around the base of her tail, gripping it firmly before pushing her hips down. Instantly she shuddered, her body squirming her head pressing back against his paw, trying to break the kiss. He growled at her, even as more of his foxhood sunk into her. He felt her grip around his neck tighten, her mouth opening wider as she moaned into the kiss. He purr softly himself. Savoring the hot tight wetness of her insides as more and him slipped inside her. At the halfway point he let her head go, cradling it gently as it rolled back exposing her neck as she let out a deep shaking lustful moan. He seized that moment, his nose going to her neck before inhaling her sent until his lungs hurt. He opened his mouth, allowing his teeth to brush against her neck sending a jolt through her which made her insides twitch and tighten. He grunted, his grip on her tail tightening as he slipped more of his organ inside her. She want panting now. Gasping for breath, her head almost limp in his paw. 

And then… with a deep feral purr he was in, completely inside her; bulb and all. Beneath him he felt her twitch and shiver. “f-f-fuuuuuuuck.”

He grinned down at her, allowing his lips to peel back showing her his teeth. He leaned in, whispering huskily into her ear. “ready?”

She nodded, her grip around his neck tightening. A moment later she pulled herself up, pushing her face under his chin and into his neck. His paw left the back of her head, steadying himself on the mattress as he drew his hips back, his organ slipping free from her folds. 

She whimpered loudly. Her body furious at the loss of contact. Her need bellowed at her, commanding her t-

Her mind went blank a second later as it returned. every inch slamming back inside her with a force that made a loud slapping sound as his knot pressed firmly against her clit. She gasped loudly her paws grabbing fistfulls of his fur in an attempt to-

Another wave of pleasure crashed into her, this one making her head spin and her lung explode in another loud moaning groan. She shuddered beneath him as he began to build a rhythm, their bodies quickly finding sync with each others. Everytime he drew out her paws would tug at his fur, making him growl as he slammed back inside her making her legs wrap desperately around his hips. Soon the sound of their bodies slapping together was almost as loud as their moans. She felt like she was on fire. Like every hair on her body had been set ablaze and only he could out it out. She quickly lost control of herself, giving in to the sea of pleasure that stormed and ragged and battled inside her. Her first climax hit her like a truck, it made her body lock up; her legs squeezing his hips desperately trying to keep him inside her even as he drew them back before slamming into her again. The second one actually made her cry, tears streaming down her face as she clung to him. This couldn't end she wouldn't let it.  Not just the sex; her and him she wouldn't let it end. Even if she had to keep him alive through sheer force of will. The third orgasm left her feeling high. Her head swam and tingled as she clung to him, his scent filling her lungs endlessly. 

They were colliding with such force now. Each thrust made her body shake from the force, her legs so tight around his hips that they felt numb. She could feel it, his bulb hitting her in just the right spot. It made her gasp and shiver and moan and need all at the same time. But more than that it… filled her with an aching desperate need for-

“K-KNOT ME!”

the words had left her mouth before she had even thought about thinking to say them. His pace grew faster, his hips a blur as he drove himself to the very limits of what he could do. And then it happened. With a loud echoing shuddering rippling almost feral growl he slammed down into her, his bulb straining against her entrance for a moment before-

“GAH!”

stars exploded in front of her eyes as she felt her body give in, his bulb slamming inside her a second later. Desperately her legs tightened around his hips, trying to force him deeper inside of her as-

Her mind went blank as she felt him start to twitch. His organ feeling hotter and bigger for a moment before suddenly he erupted. Above her he moaned again. The paw on her tail, pressing her up almost painfully against him, making sure she couldn't move. Not that she wanted too. The first splash of his warm seed inside made her toes curl decadently. The second made her moan his name into his neck. The third made her insides squeeze down on him bringing the feeling of him inside her into a more intense focus. the fourth made her feel drunk off him. The fifth, made her arms shake from the force it was taking to keep hold of him. The sixth…

Then a new sensation hit her, a swelling of swelling and growing inside her. Above her Nick groaned, his tone almost pleading with her to let him stay buried inside her. Her growl was her response, practically a threat if he dared to pull-

“ooooooooh.”

It wasn't like what she had expected. Then again she didn't know what she'd expected. It wasn't painful, overly. It certain pushed her to her limits, making her panting and shaking as his bulb grew and grew until she felt it press achingly against her insides, locking them together. She felt like she was floating in a sea of pleasure and smells and him. She felt so weak it almost took her breath away, making her shake as she desperately kept clinging to him until the very last of her strength left her. Her arms slipped from around his neck, falling to lay on either side of her. Above him he was panting, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he gasped and shivered and-

The kiss was exhausted. Both of them very near to passing out from fatigue. She felt his paw slip behind her, gently undoing the clasp of her nighty before pulling the top part off of her. She was too weak to resist, instead savoring the feeling of his fur against hers. She kept the kiss going, willing it to continue until the very moment she passed out. This was it. This was what she wanted. This, this kiss. This good beautiful loving perfect kiss. This kiss that took her breath away and left her feel exhilarated. This kiss that made her feel at once exposed and vulnerable and at the same time in complete control. This kiss that proved to her beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved her just as much as she moved him. They were both growing weak now, their strength leaving them quickly. She groaned, her eyes feeling heavy and he rolled sideways,  pulling her against his chest. He purred at that, feeling her head go to his chest and…

From far off she could hear some kind ringing sound, the phone maybe. She ignored it. It wasn't important the machine would get it. This, this was important. Being here, with him. Doing this every single day with him. Vaguely she wondered how Jack would react if he could see them. For a fleeting moment her exhausted mind told her to take a picture and text him, just to piss him off. But her phone was… somewhere… and there was no way she was getting up from the warm beautiful panting fox who had his arms around her. Her eyes drifted closed, her body relaxing as sleep neared he-

 

*Beep*

 

“JUDITH LAVENDER HOPPS! YOU BETTER HAVE A REALLY GOOD EXPLANATION FOR DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL! YOU CALL YOUR FATHER AND ME THE VERY SECOND YOU GET THIS MESSAGE OR I'LL GET THE OLD SWITCH AND TAN YOURS  **AND** YOUR FOX'S ASS TILL YOU CAN'T SIT FOR A MONTH!  **THE VERY SECOND JUDITH! DO YOU HEAR ME!?!?!** ”

 

*Beep*

 

_ Fu- _

Before her thought could finish sleep took her.


	15. Explanations and dinner

To say the room was tense was an understatement. Judy squirmed nervously in her seat, feeling as if her parent's eyes were spotlights focused directly on her and Nick. Next to her Nick was doing his best to seem calm, but the nervous flick of his tail gave away his feelings. the moment they'd woken up from their ‘activities’ Nick had called her parents back, inviting them to come over and talk while Judy had thrown herself into a quick shower. now they sat in Nick’s living room with her parents looking at both of them. After several seconds Bonnie spoke, her voice calm but stern. “well? We're waiting young lady. Explain yourself.”

She bit her lip. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell her parents why they'd dropped out of school. She very much wanted to. But… it wasn't entirely her story to tell. She looked sideways at Nick, finding that he was looking at her too. For a moment their eyes connected, an unspoken discussion passing between them.  _ What do I say? Tell the truth? But what if he doesn't want them to kn- _

“Its my fault Mr and Mrs Hopps. Judy dropped out because of me.”

They turned to look at him. After a few seconds Stu spoke. “explain.”

Sighing softly Nick nodded. “I could… but… I think it might be better… if I show you.”

They looked at him confused. “show us?”

Nick nodded getting to his feet a moment later. Turning to leave.

“n-Nick?” her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

He smiled at her. “it’s ok. They should know.”

Her eyes flickered uncertainly to her parent. “are… you sure?”

He nodded and smiled. It wasn't a happy smile. It was a sad almost… resigned smile. “yeah.”

A moment later he left, walking out of the living room leaving Judy alone with her parents. She squirmed again as they returned their attention to her. After a second her father spoke. “show us what?”

She took a deep breath before shaking her head slowly. “I… I can't tell you… not… not without Nick.”

She watched as her mom looked at her closely. “Judy… are… are you… pregnant?”

It was a serious question, she could hear just how serious her mother was. And yet… she couldn't help but find it funny. Pregnant… they wanted to know… if she was… pregnant? before she knew what she was doing sbe laughing, her sides shaking as her voice echoed around the room. she knew it wasn't meant to be funny, that her parents really were worried about her. but it was funny to her. pregnant, her parents wanted to know if she was pregnant? honestly she wished she was. she wished this whole thing was as simple as that. That she had dropped out of school because she was going to have Nick's child. that would have been so SO much simpler to deal with. she was laughing so hard that she was almost crying, tears having formed in the corners of her eyes as she struggled to breath. after several moments she managed to take a few deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. “n-no mom. i'm n-not.”

across from her, her mother frowned. “then wh-” 

but she fell silent as Nick returned, a small bag in his paw, and a piece of paper in the other. falling silent Judy watched as Nick reached into the bag he was carrying. a moment later he produced a bottle of pills, one of the ones from the medicine cabinet. gently he set the bottle on the table before producing another and another and another until all 11 bottles were spread out for her parents to see. there was complete silence in the room, broken only when Nick spoke as he pointed to the first bottle. “for nausea.” he pointed to the next bottle. “for weakness and fatigue.” slowly he went down the row, pointing to each bottle before saying what each one was for. her parents remained silent as he spoke. it was… oddly surreal. she knew he had been taking these pills; she’d watched him several time. but… to know what they did. To know what they treated and to know that Nick was going through them, it was…

“I'm showing you these Mr and Mrs Hopps, so youll know that this is not a joke or a trick.” slowly he unfolded the letter and began to read. “Dear Mr Wilde. We have completed our analysis of the blood sample you provided us. After running multiple tests to confirm and  double check our findings we believe we have found the source of your symptoms. We're very sorry to inform your Mr Wilde, your tests have come back positive for Leukemia.” looking up from the letter Nick held it out for Judy's parents to take. “signed and dated March 22nd 2016.”

With a slow reach Bonnie took the letter, staring at the piece of paper, her eyes wide. Next to her Stu spoke. “2016? You mean… you've been sick… this whole time?”

Nick nodded. “yes. For the last few years. These meds help me keep my symptoms under control.”

Bonnie looked up at him, her expression still shocked. “wh-what about your parents? Do they know?”

Nick chuckled softly. “that leads me to the second part of my explanation.”

And so he told them; everything. About being abandoned as a child. About growing up in the foster system and the abuse he suffered. He even showed them his scars, turning around and lifting up the back of his shirt so her parents could see the thick angry welts along his back. He told them about being adopted, about Fenneko and how Finnick was really his brother not his son. Judy watched as her mother gasped in horror upon hearing that fenneko had been murdered. And how her father's face had become saddened at hearing how Nick had raised Finnick alone for years. both of them starred at Nick in complete shock when he told them he wasn't seeking treatment. 

Taking a deep breath Nick looked sideways at her, smiling softly. “then… your daughter pointed something out to me. I don't enjoy going to school. It was just… something to do until… but I don't want ‘just’ anymore. I want to be happy with the time I have left. I don't know exactly how long that is, but… I don't want to waste it anymore. So… that's why we both dropped out… so… so I can enjoy the time I have left… with your daughter, however long that may be.”

Silence again filled the room. Judy watched as her parents processed everything they'd been told. She could only imagine what they were feeling. She could still remember how she felt when Nick had told her. it had been like a punch to the gut. he'd been through so much, more than any person should ever have to go through. and yet… he had.

Slowly her mother stood up, moving closer to them and standing in front of Nick. “stand up.” her voice was soft. Nick looked nervously to Judy before slowly getting to his feet as he'd been told. for a moment Judy truly wasn't sure what her mother was going to do. she could see the look of pain and sadness on her mother’s face, Nick’s story clearly having had an effect on her. after several seconds Bonnie spoke again. “You… you poor thing. you poor poor thing.” Judy watched as her mother leaned forward, pulling her fox into a slightly startled hug that had Nick tensing up for a moment. “i'm so so sorry Nick. I… if i’d known… oh gods i'm so sorry.”

Nick sighed softly, gently returning the hug. “it’s ok, you don't need to feel bad.”

but Bonnie shook her head, looking at him. “But I didn't stop Jill. I just… I let her say those… those horrible things and… i'm so sorry.”

but Nick shook his head. “she’s entitled to her feelings. I don't blame you for that.”

from where he still sat Stu spoke. “is there… anything we can do? anything to help?”

Nick shook his head, stepping back as Bonnie released him from the hug. “No. i'm… we’re ok. I just want to enjoy the time I have left.”

He watched as Bonnie looked to her husband for a moment. “um… do you… have any idea how much…”

Her voice trailed off as he shook his head. “No.”

He watched as Bonnie took a deep breath, her paws gently going to his shoulders. “ok. But… we're here… Stu and i… our whole family… if… if you ever need anything. ANYTHING.”

Nick nodded smiling softly. “thank you.”

it was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. they knew, her parents knew and… they weren’t mad anymore. she watched as her mother slowly sat back down her gaze still saddened; no doubt ashamed that she hadn't done more to admonish Jill during her outbursts. next to her, Stu spoke. “I… can I ask… how have you managed this? I mean… I can't imagine…”

Nick smiled weakly. “honestly… I don't know.” he looked down at the letter on the table for a moment. “when I first got the news… when I read those words… i… I started laughing. it was just…. it was to funny.”

now Judy was staring at him, watching as a small smile twitched the corners of his mouth. “l-laughing?” her mother’s voice was painfully soft. 

Nick nodded. “yeah. it… I was just… gods it was so funny to me. this was it. this was the TOPPER to my shithole of a life. I'd been thrown away like trash, bounced from house to house, beaten and abused, saved, lived happy for 4 years, gained a baby brother, lost it all, grabbed my brother and run and now… now I had cancer too. it… it was… just so funny to me then. it was like… like what else could it have possibly been? of course I had cancer.” as if to illustrated his point Nick chuckled softly. after a few moments thought he sighed. “Its not been easy. it took me a LONG time to come to terms with what was happening. but I made peace with it.” he looked sideways at Judy. “remember how I said I used to get panic attacks a lot?” 

she nodded. “y-yeah." 

he shrugged. "that's why. I'd start thinking about dying and I'd get so worked up I'd make myself sick.”

across from them Judy noted how her mother's ear were laid back against her head. “You poor thing.” 

Nick shrugged. “I'm ok. I've accepted what's going to happen. it's not scary anymore.” he could see the looks of uncertainty on their faces. "no, it's true. I thought about it for a long time. Dying is something everyone has to do and it's something everyone has done. So why be scared of it?” For several moments Nick fell silent before continuing. “My bigger concern… is Finnick and what will happen to him.”

Judy watched as Nick's ears flicked back in fear. “I… there isn't anyone else to take care of him. my Mom didn't have any family, just me and Finnick. So… w-when I die…” his voice trailed off for several moments. 

Judy felt her heart clench painfully. she could only imagine how he must be feeling. to know that you were going to die, and then when you did the person you'd been taking care of for years would be left alone… 

“I'll do it." 

she watched as Nick turned to look at her, a frown spreading across his face. “huh?" 

she smiled at him. "I'll look after Finnick… IF the time comes." 

she watched as his eyes widened, his mouth hanging open slightly in shock. from where they sat Judy could feel her parent's eyes on her as well.  _ What are you doing?! _

she moved, reaching out her paw of take Nick's into her own. in front of her Nick was still staring at her, his expression unreadable. after several seconds he spoke. “N-no Judy. I… I can't let you do that. It…”

but she shook her head. “No, it's ok Nick. I…” she took a deep breath. she felt oddly calm for what she was doing. she'd have expected her heart to be racing or her mind to be a blur of pros and cons for what she was agreeing to, but it wasn't. “I'll take care of Finnick. you don't have to worry about him being alone." 

his expression changed, rapidly going from shock, to gratitude then hesitation back to shock then hope but then sadness. “Judy..." 

she shook her head, giving his paw a soft squeeze. "I mean it Nick. I'll do it. Finnick… he deserves to stay with someone he knows. and… you saw him this morning… he knows me and trusts me. and… I want to do it.”

she watched as his expression flickered back on hope. she could almost feel the relief in his gaze. 

“well then,” the sound of her mother's voice made her turn, looking to her parents. her mother was looking at her with an expression of sweet sadness on her face while her father was just smiling. “I think that settles it Nick." 

next to her Judy felt Nick sift a bit, looking to her parents for a moment before speaking. “I… th-thank you… thank you so much.”

across from them Bonnie smiled. “But I do think that he should get a chance to meet everyone before hand. that way he's not just suddenly surrounded by strangers calling themselves his family. so… why don't you and he and Judy all come over for dinner tonight?”

Nick blinked. he was having trouble processing all that had happened in the last few minutes. he'd told Judy's parents about is condition, explained why he and Judy had dropped out of school, told them about the worst moment of his life and of his deepest fear. and not only had they accepted his words but…

he felt his breath hitch in her chest, is heart clenching. he closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the tingling sensation of tears building in the corners. he was almost shaking, the worry and fear he felt for so long was rapidly vanishing. this was really happening. Finnick wouldn't be alone anymore. after several seconds he spoke, opening his eyes and feeling the few tears that had managed to escape fall down the sides of his face. “I… I'd like that. I'd really like that." 

 

\-----------

 

Convincing Finnick to come with them to Judy's parents house had been easy. simply telling the small fox that they were going to be eating out had made him bounce up and down with excitement. The train ride out of the city had been calm, mostly filled with mammals who just wanted to get home after a long day of work. They sat close together, Finnick slightly fussy that he had to sit in Nick's lap instead of standing up and watching the scenery flash by. The feeling of Judy's paw slipping into his made Nick blink, looking at her and seeing the smile covering her face. His heart swelled at her expression, and before he knew what he was doing he'd leaned in, their lips gently connecting in a soft kiss. In his lap Finnick squirmed slightly, turning to watch them for a moment. He could hear a few mammals on the train muttering, no doubt talking about the rabbit and fox who were kissing in the train car. He ignored then, breaking the kiss after a few moments before leaning sideways and resting his head against Judy's. He grinned uncontrollably as she squeezed his paw again. 

The walk from the station to Judy's home was great  they walked paw in paw, with Finnick riding on Nick's shoulders. The sky above them was a brilliant shade of blue with white puffy clouds dotting it. The sun was bright and warm and as they walked a small breeze picked up, ruffling their fur a little. It was serine and picturesque, like something out of a movie or a painting. Turning onto the small dirt road that was their driveway Judy smiled, giving his paw another soft squeeze. “I'm glad we're doing this."

Nick looked sideways at her. “What? Having dinner with your family?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It feels… right. Bringing my boyfriend home to meet my family.”

He smiled. He understood what she meant. So far their relationship had been unorthodox to say the least. But this felt normal. Having dinner with her family felt normal. Or at least as normal as it could under the circumstances.

As they neared the front door Nick caught his first wife of food. His nose twitched, the smells of roasting vegetables and spices reaching him and making his mouth almost start watering from the smells. Judy noticed this, chuckling as she reached out and rang the doorbell. “Smells like mom is making her farmer's casserole. You'll love it.”

He nodded, watching as the door opened and Bonnie appeared before them. “Nick, Judy, and you," she looked to the small fox riding on Nick's shoulders. "must be Finnick." Finnick nodded quickly. And Bonnie smiled. “Come in, come in." 

stepping into the house Nick followed Judy who led him after Bonnie and into the kitchen. instantly the smells of cooking food hit him in the face, making his outhouse truly water as his nose twitched. it smelled AMAZING. he could smell roasting potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions and yams. above him Finnick spoke. “WHAT SMELLS SO GOOD?" 

Bonnie smiled and turned to look at them. "farmer's casserole. an old family recipe." 

Nick grinned. "smells amazing.”

Bonnie smiled. “It should be done in about 30 minutes or so. then just another 10 for the biscuits I cook and dinner will be re-”

the rest of Bonnie’s words were cut off as the front door banged open roughly. instantly the house was filled with the sounds of laughing and stampeding feet. looking back the way they'd come Nick watched as five young rabbits raced past the doorway, laughing and chasing each other. Bonnie huffed and allies out to them. “HEY! NO RUNNING IN THE HOUSE! YOU KITS GET IN HERE THIS INSTANT!" 

she looked to Nick and Finnick. "Sorry about that. my kid can be a bit… rambunctious.”

Nick chuckled, rolling his shoulders to indicate Finnick. “believe me, they can't be any more than this one. he makes me run a half marathon whenever it's time for his bath.”

Bonnie grinned. “Hmmm, what about when it rains an I have five sets of muddy shoes running through the house?”

Nick grinned, turning as the young rabbits who had raced by slowly filed into the kitchen. “mom-" the rabbit who was speaking froze, his eyes going to Nick and looking him up and down. for several seconds Nick wondered what was going through the rabbit's mind. after several seconds the rabbit spoke. “Whoa… you're tall.”

Nick grinned, opening his mouth to speak when another of the young rabbits spoke. “and his tail is so fluffy and long!" 

next to him Nick hard Judy speak. "Tammy, Marcus, Johnny, Anna, Greg; this is Nick Wilde and his son Finnick. what do we say?”

the rabbit looked up at Finnick for a moment who looked down at them. after a moment they all spoke at once. “HI. NICE TO MEET YOU!" 

Nick chuckled and rolled his shoulders again. "Finnick, what do we say to new people?"

above him Finnick spoke softly is voice a little nervous.. "h-hi.”

there was an awkward sickness for several moments, no one speaking. after a few seconds One of the rabbits spoke. “Do you like hide and seek?" 

Nick smiled as Finnick nodded and the young rabbit grinned. "ok, you be it!" 

a second later the young rabbits ran off, ignoring Bonnie who yelled after them; “NO RUNNING!" 

Smiling Nick knelt down, allowing Finnick to climb down off of him before closing his eyes and starting to count. watching the smaller fox Nick waited until he had finished counting to 20 before calling out. “ready or not, here he comes!" 

He grinned at Finnick who grinned back at him for a moment before dashing off to look for his new friends. after a few seconds Bonnie chuckled. “He's sweet." Nick nodded, moving to join Judy who had taken a seat at a small table. Bonnie joined them a moment later, kneading a ball of bread dough in a bowl as they spoke. “I can't imagine how hard it has been raining him on your own." 

Nick shrugged. "he's my baby brother. I couldn't not do it.”

Bonnie nodded. “Oh I agree. just… I can't imagine how hard it has been.”

Nick nodded. “it's hard it's rough patches. sometimes… he asks me where his mom is…”

Judy watched as Nick's ears lowered slightly in sadness. “But I tell him that his mother is always around even if he can't see her.”

Bonnie smiled. “That's a good-”

but the rest of Bonnie's words were again cutting off as the door opened, this time with Stu stepping inside a moment later. “Nick, Judy you made it!”

they both nodded, watching as Stu walked past them before giving Bonnie a quick kiss on the cheek. as he did so Nick watched as his paw drifted towards a small glob of dough that was stuck to the side of the bowl. in a flash Bonnie's paw slapped Stu's hand away. “No. I need all of it for the biscuits." 

Stu rolled his eyes and sighed. "fine fine oh beautiful wife of mine. I'll go get cleaned up and be out in a few minutes.”

Bonnie nodded. “you do that." 

turning to look sideways at Judy Nick raised an eyebrow slightly to which Judy nodded; answering his unasked question. clearly Bonnie was the leader of the family. They chatted for a while, Bonnie asking questions about Nick and what he liked our do and how he and Judy had been since moving in. occasionally Nick would ask questions of Bonnie, about Judy and how she'd been growing up. that had lead to Judy blushing several times and trying to hastily change the subject only for Bonnie to grinned and launch into some story about something embarrassing young Judy had done. 

but their conversation broke of as the sound of giggling made them turn, watching as a young brown and grey kit ran into the kitchen, quickly spun around so if looking for something and then pulled open a cupboard before climbing inside and closing the door. “guess a new game of hide and seek has started." 

Bonnie shrugged and chuckled, starting to tear the dough she'd been kneading into chunks before dropping them onto a baking pan. She'd just finished dividing the dough when Finnick entered the kitchen. They watched as he sniffed the air, his nose twitching as he inhaled. “Watcha doing little man?"

Finnick looked to him grinning. "Hide and track!"

Judy and Bonnie raised their eyebrows while Nick chuckled. “Hehe, have fun."

Finnick nodded, his eyes drifting closed as his nose continues to twitch and sniff before he slowly drifted towards the cupboard where Judy's sibling had hidden in. As he did so Bonnie spoke softly. “What's hide and track?"

Nick smiled, watching as Finnick pulled open the cupboard giggling in delight as he found Judy sibling before the pair of them quickly set off to find the rest. Looking up at Bonnie Nick responded to her question. “It's the predator version of hide and seek. Our senses are pretty good. So rather than just randomly searching predators will use their senses to find those hiding. Actually it's a pretty common game amongst predators. Even some adults play it. We don't get much of a chance to use our senses in our normal day to day lives.”

From somewhere inside the house Nick heard a squeal of delight, no doubt Finnick finding another hiding sibling. Across from him Nickw watched as Bonnie smiled. “That sounds like fun."

Nick nodded. “It is. It's one of his favorite games. We play it sometime, but there are only so many places I can hide. So this is a blast for him I'm sure.”

The conversation wandered after that. After Bonnie returned from putting the dough in the oven they talked they talked about growing up on the farm, what it was like to have so many siblings. Several times Bonnie would start a story about Judy as a child only to have Judy tug her ears over her face and rapidly change the subject. Bonnie had just gotten up to pull the rolls from the oven when Stu reappeared, his fur still slightly damp from his wash. his nose twitched as he sniffed the air. “smells good as ever Hun.”

Bonnie smiled and busied herself with pulling out the tray of fresh rolls before speaking to her husband. “flattery will not get you an extra roll DEAR. so go call the kids for dinner.”

Nick grinned as Stu's shoulders slumped a little as he turned and caught Nick's eyes. “can't blame me for trying," he mouthed. as Stu left the room Nick got to his feet. “um… is there anything I can do to help?”

Bonnie looked at him for a moment before nodding. “yes actually. can you get out the plates and set them on the table? Judy, you show him where they are and then get the glasses.”

doing as he'd been instructed Nick followed Judy, finding that they kept the plates in a similar place to where they were in his house; in a cupboard next to the sink. looking at the stack of plates Nick spoke to Judy. “um… how many do we need?”

Judy smiled. “the whole stack." 

Nick blinked in Surprise for a moment before nodding, collecting the stake of plates and carefully moving from the kitchen into the dinning room. setting out the plates Nick found his eyes widening slightly as he found his eyes widening slightly as he found a dozen chairs set up around the table. “whoa." 

next to him Judy chuckled softly. “I have a lot of brothers and sisters. we may act offended, but rabbits ARE very good at multiplying.”

he nodded slowly, following along behind Judy and helping to set the table. he'd just finished setting down the final plate when the scampering of little feet reached his ears.  turning Nick smiled as he watched the young rabbits from before bound into the room and into the nearest chairs. a moment later his own 'child’ appeared, giggling and panting slightly. “little man, did you wash our paws?" 

Finnick's ears flattened as he turned to look at Nick. "n-no.” 

Nick frowned at him. "Go wash up. then you can eat.” 

Finnick shoulders slumped slightly before he turned and slowly walked into the kitchen and out of sight. “Such a strict parent." 

Nick rolled his eyes. "you have no idea how much dirt our paws pads can pick up. I'll be washing mine too.”

leaving the dining room Nick returned to the kitchen, watching as Bonnie graciously picked Finnick up and set him on the counter, allowing the small fox to reach the faucet of the sink and run is paws under the stream of water. moving to join him Nick did the same. behind them Bonnie chuckled. “how did you get him to do that without arguing?" 

Nick moved to help Finnick get down before responding. “we had a rough time for a while. then I threatened to send him to bed without dinner if he didn't. that worked REAL quick.”

turning Nick found Bonnie looking at him, a warm almost maternal smile covering her face. “you're a good parent Nick." 

he shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant but nothing how his heart seemed to hang slightly. “thanks. what can I do now?" 

Bonnie gestured to a large basket from which the smell of the freshly baked rolls wafted out from under a small towel. “carry this to the table. and set it as far away from my husband as you can." 

nodding Nick grinned. "yes ma'am.” picking up the basket he followed Bonnie and Judy back into the dining room, finding that the rest of Judy's family had emerged and were now gathered around the table. He'd just moved to join Judy, when a voice filled with contempt met his ears. 

“What are YOU doing here?"

Sighing softly Nick did his best to smile pleasantly at Jill who was sitting a few chairs to the left on the opposite side of the table. For a moment his eyes flickered to Finnick who was sitting to their right with the younger kids near Bonnie. He could handle Jill being mean to him. But if she turned her attention to Finnick all bets were off and she would see how mean he could be. as if she sensed the potential conflict Bonnie spoke up from her end of the table. “YOUR FATHER AND I invited them Jill. if you have a problem with that, then out can go to bed now. infact,” Bonnie's voice became louder calling to all the siblings at the table. “IF ANY OF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH Nick OR HIS SON JOINING US; THEN YOU CAN GO TO BED NOW.”

the other siblings blinked and looking at him. for a few moments there was silence and then, “why would we do that? Finnick is fun!" 

a moment later there were cries of "yeah!”

Nick felt himself smile, his heart quivering slightly at their words. he was mad they liked Finnick, it meant a lot to him that his brother had friends so quickly. from where she stood Bonnie nodded. “good. now, before we start eating, Nick" Nick looked to her. “do you say Grace or anything before eating?” 

he shook his head in response. “no. but… I would like to say thank you for inviting me and Finnick over. it… it's really nice of you to do and it means a lot to me.”

this time it was Stu would spoke, his voice coming from the opposite end of the table. “Of course my boy. you and Finnick are always welcome here.”

again Nick felt his heart quiver, a small smile spreading across his face at their words. he hadn't expected this. understanding; yes. maybe some sympathy or more likely pity because of his condition but… this… being accepted into their home and as warmly as the had… 

next to him he felt Judy move her paw going to him. turning he had been about to speak when he felt her lips press gently against his. as he did so several of the kids at the table let out “oooo" or “bleh" sounds. after a few moments the sound of Stu clearing his throat made Judy pull away, a soft shade of pink filling her ears. 

“Come on folks. Let's eat, I'm starving. Someone pass the rolls." 

 

\----------

 

It was dark outside by the time they returned home. Halfway through the train-ride Finnick had fallen asleep, prompting Nick to pick the smaller fox up and carry him when they finally arrived at the station. The walk home was pleasant, with the air being cool but not cold while the sound of nighttime bugs and birds met their ears. 

“I had fun tonight.” His voice was soft so as not to wake the sleeping fox. 

Next to him Judy smiled. “I did to.”

He grinned sideways at her. “Your parents seem to like me. And your siblings seem to like Finnick too.”

Judy nodded. “Yeah they do. I'm so glad. Now if only we could get Jill to like you… or shut up.”

Stepping up the front door of the home Nick shook his head softly. “No no. she’s allowed to have her opinion. Besides, i'm not dating her. I'm dating you.” as he spoke he let his tail brush against her side. 

She giggled playfully in response, unlocking the door and letting them both inside. They broke off from each other at the end of the hallway, with Judy going into the kitchen and living room while he moved down the hallways to Finnick’s room so he could put the little fox to bed. Gently he tucked Finnick under the covers, giving his forehead a soft kiss before leaving the room and moving back down the hallway. He’d just stepped into the kitchen when an electronic beep met his ears; Judy having pressed the lay button on the answering machine. 

“Hello Mr Wilde. It’s Doctor Lambert I need you to call me right away. There have been some… developments in the case of your condition. We need to discuss them and what we will do about them. Please, contact me as soon as possible. This is a time sensitive matter."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what nick's doctor needs to talk to him about that is so urgent?


	16. 20%

The doctor's office was a strange place to Nick. Sitting in the lobby he found his mind wandering a bit. On one hand people came here because they felt bad. Because they were sick or hurt or something was wrong. They knew something was wrong, that's why they came. Yet they desperately wanted to be told nothing was wrong. That they were ok and that whatever they were feeling was temporary. Three years ago he'd done the same thing. And three years ago that hope had shattered with the news he'd gotten. That he was not ok. That everything would NOT get better. Next to him Judy seemed to be more nervous than he was. Her foot tapped impatiently against the floor and she squirmed in her chair as they waited. Sighing softly Nick leaned back in the chair. He was curious what his doctor wanted to talk to him about. He rarely heard from the older ram anymore. not that he blamed the doctor for this. if the rolls had been reversed; if the ram had cancer but wasn't seeking treatment then he wouldn't have called much either. so the fact that he had called-

“Nickolas Wilde?"

at the sound of his name he looked up, smiling at the small mouse nurse who had called him. getting to is feet Nick moved, feeling Judy fall in line behind him as he moved towards the nurse. “hello."

the nurse looked to him and then to Judy. "hello, and who is..."

nick smiled. “it's ok. she's my girlfriend."

the mouse raised an eyebrow and looked between them for a moment but didn't say anything more. instead they followed the nurse back past the door she was holding open before moving down a long hallway with doors branching of into examination rooms. they paused for a moment here, stopping so the nurse could measure Nick's height and weight. as she did so the mouse sighed softly. “53 lbs Mr Wilde, you're down another four pounds."

Nick shrugged. he'd expected that. hell ever since he'd learned he was sick he'd started loosing weight. not surprising when he was vomiting once a week or so. “well you see I'm on this new diet. I get cancer and slowly die from it and the pounds just melt off.”

the nurse looked at him, a weak smile flickering across her face. “I don't think that one will catch on."

nick shrugged and again began to follow the mouse as see led him and Judy further back before stopping and knocking at a plain wooden door. after several moments a voice from inside the room responded. “Come on in."

the nurse held the door open for them, smiling and he and Judy stepped past her and into the room. as the door shut behind them Nick paused, looking around the office for a moment. I'd been in here a few times. none of them had been Tim's he'd been given good news. the walls were decorated with a small collection of certificates and achievements; graduations medical school, his acceptance letter to work at the hospital. a small potted plant sat on the corner of the doctor's desk and the desk itself was kept clean and clutter free with to chairs in front of it for people to sit in. behind the desk sat his doctor. The male ram had hanged a little in the last three years. hi horns had curled over a bit more, no longer the half circle they had been when they'd first met but instead a 3/4ths circle. smiling as he sat down Nick spoke. “hey doc. How you doing?"

from behind the desk Dr Lambert smiled and shrugged. “it's ok. my daughter turned 6 last week."

he grinned at that. " did you throw her a pink princess unicorn party?”

The ram grimaced. “yeah. even dressed up as the unicorn. never again. now who,” his eyes flickered to Judy. "is this?”

Nick smiled. "This is Judy Hopps, my girlfriend.”

the ram raised an eyebrow. "girlfriend?"

Nick nodded. “yeah."

the doctor smiled. "Well good, so long as you're both happy. Um… how much… does she know?”

it was a fair question. but is still made Nick chuckled softly. “everything. she knows about my past and the cancer.” he shifted to look to Judy. "Dr Lambert is one of the only people who knows my story. doctor patient confidentiality keeps him from telling anyone else.”

Judy nodded. “Ok."

leaning back in the chair Nick took a deep breath before speaking. "so doc, what's up? we're in your office, so it's probably not good news you're giving me.”

the doctor shook his head. “actually Mr Wilde, it's good news. well… possibly.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “Possibly?"

the doctor nodded. "Yes, possibly. let me explain. your particular kind of leukemia is a bit different from most cases. a mutation if you will. it would be treatable, but doing so would involve several rounds of chemo and radiation therapy to do so. and… you've made your stance on the matter quite clear.”

Nick nodded. “yeah, I know doc. I appreciate you trying to talk me out of it though.”

the doctor nodded and continued. “Anyways, recently there has been some breakthroughs with treating variant mutations of leukemia. several new drugs have been developed that when combined with other treatments have shown a noticeable improvement in recovery rates and treatment speeds.”

Jud sat forward her ears flicking up. “How noticeable?"

the doctor shrugged. "anywhere from 15% - 30% improvements.”

Judy's eyes widened. “you're saying that mammals who get this treatment are 15%-30% more likely to be cured of their cancer?”

the doctor shook his head. “not quite Ms Hopps. I want to be very clear on this. The patients in these studies are not being cured. their cancer is simply going into remission. but yes, this Is happening at an increased rate.”

Judy looked to Nick who was looking at the doctor closely. “what's the catch?"

the ram sighed softly before leaning forward slightly. "there are a few catches actually. first, the next trial is ONLY for minors. currently you meet that criteria but-”

Nick nodded. “in a month I turn 18 and I won't qualify anymore."

the doctor nodded. "yes. also, while patients have been showing signs of improvements… some… have not.”

Judy's ears lowered slightly. “what do you mean?"

the doctor sighed sadly. "the most recent trial had 100 participants in it. of those 20 showed signs of improvements. 30 showed no improvement at all. 32 showed a minor decrease in health although there isn't conclusive evidence to say that it's a result of the treatments. and-”

Nick held up his paw. “let me guess. the remaining ones died."

the doctor shook his head. "some of them… yes. others simply began to deteriorate at an accelerated rate."

Nick nodded. "so what you're saying is; if I do this, there is a 20% change that it works. and if it does work it might help me a little or a lot. but if I'm not one of the 20% then things could stay the same or become even worse?”

the doctor nodded and Nick fell silent. next to him Judy spoke up, a tone of uncertainty in her voice. “why was that participant group so small? I thought medical trials normally had thousands of participants in it?” the doctor looked at her, a slight look of surprise on his face. Judy shrugged at his surprise. “I've been doing research since I found out.”

the doctor nodded and shrugged. “most trials are. but the variant mutations in this treatment is for is not overly common. so yes, the sampling numbers are rather small. but the findings are still worth noting.” the doctor shifted, looking to Nick before continuing. “Mr Wilde, I think you should seriously consider enrolling in this trial. It doesn't involve the months of chemo and radiation like traditional therapies it's one or two concentrated sessions with very few of the side effects. certainly none worse than what you're already going through.”

at that Nick chuckled coldly. “except the little chance of death."

the doctor was silent for several moments before responding. "Yes. that is a possibility. but so is life. look at it this way Mr Wilde, with this trial you have a chance to live. yes you might be one of the unlucky ones; but you might not be. hell maybe nothing happens and we're right back where we started three years ago. BUT do nothing, and you will FOR SURE die. You've been my patient for three years. I'd like to think that I'm doing all I can to help you. I can't force you into this trial. just… take some time. discuss it with your girlfriend. you have a month to get back to me.”

the room was silent for several moments, so much so that Judy found she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. then, “Doc, I appreciate what you've done and what you're trying to do. but the answer is no. I'm going to die, I'm at peace with that. this treatment may help some people. it may be the miracle cure they have been praying for. but for me it's false hope. I thank you for your concern, but I won't be joining the trial.”

 

\---------

 

the train ride home felt impossibly quiet. normally they'd be talking, chatting about something. but they sat in silence, the only sound between them the occasional creak of the plastic chairs. for Judy it was an impossible silence, one that seemed to press in around her and threatened to crush her under it. she stared ahead of her, her eyes fixating on the scenery flashing past them as the transition ran down the track. when they came to their station she and Nick exitted the train still in silence, making their way down the steps and through the streets without saying a word to each other.

No. No? how could he have said no? she replayed that moment over and over and over in her head trying to understand is reasoning. yes the statistics had been slim. but 20% was still better than 0%. this trial could give him better odds than what he was doing now; which was practically nothing. so…

“why?"

her voice was soft, softer than she'd ever heard it go before. in front of her she watched as he turned, his face filled with a kind of resigned sadness. “why?” her throat felt dry. so dry that she couldn't speak and instead only nodded. she watched as he sighed. “because it wouldn't have made any difference.”  

she started at him, her mind trying to understand his logic. after several seconds she spoke weakly. “y-you can't know t-that. this could have saved you. it could-"

he rolled his eyes. "no it wouldn't have. there was only a 20% chance it would help, and even then it only helped in a incremental way.”

she shook her head still trying to understand. “but still. anything would be better than nothing right?"

Nick shook his head this time. "not this time. just let it go judy. it's ok.”

she felt her brow furrowed as he turned away. "so that's it then? you're just not going to try? you're just giving up?"  

he froze, slowly turning to look at her. "giving up? is that what you think I'm doing?"

she glared at him, a feeling of anger bubbling in her stomach. "that's EXACTLY what you're doing Nick!"

Nick rolled his eyes. "I haven't given up Judy. I'm just not putting my chances on false hope.”

She did it before she could stop herself, her foot stopping loudly on the floor. “It's not false hope! The doctor said it could help you! That it could cure you!"

Now Nick's voice became louder. "No he didn't Judy! He said this MIGHT help. This is not cure! This isn't even a 'maybe’! This is a 'hey some people we pumped full of these drugs didn't die. So let's do it again and see if we get the same result’.”

She stopped her foot again. “But you could be one of the ones. This could save you!"

Nick's eyes flashed angrily. “If you think that you're an idiot."

He turned to walk away from her. But she moved before she could stop herself. Roughly she grabbed his arm to try and keep him there. “DON'T WALK AWAY. WE'RE NOT DONE!”

Roughly Nick tried to pull his arm free. "Yes we are Judy. I'm not-"

His words broke off as he felt her paw connect with the side of his face. For a moment he stood there stunned, the side of his face radiating pain as his brain tried to process what had just happened. She'd slapped him. She'd-

He snarled in anger, lashing out without thinking pushing her away from him. “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!"

Across from him she shouted back. "HOW CAN YOU JUST GIVE UP?! HOW CAN YOU JUST LAY DOWN AND WAIT TO DIE?! WHAT ABOUT ME?! WHAT ABOUT FINNICK?! DO YOU CARE SO LITTLE ABOUT US THAT YOU'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO TRY?!”

instantly Nick felt white hot anger burst into his chest making his blood boil and his hackles rise. “DON'T YOU DARE SAY I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU OR FINNICK! I DO!”

This time Judy snarled back trying to match his aggression. “OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T! IF YOU DID YOU'D BE FIGHTING! YOU'D BE SIGNING UP FOR THIS TREATMENT AND DOING WHATEVER IT-”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP JUDY!!!" the sound of his voice made the walls shake. His paws were shaking as he ground his teeth together. His fur itched and burned as his heart hammered in his chest. His eyes had become slits and his chest was shaking as he took deep breaths. Flexing his paws and fingers Nick forced himself to speak slowly. “NOT. ANOTHER WORD." He'd never been this angry. No, that was a lie. He had. The day Fenneko had been murdered. He'd wanted to rip the killer's head off. That same rage now coursed through his veins, directed at Judy. “YOU. You don't get… to say those things. YOU don't get to say I'm giving up. I'M NOT!” He growled loudly, his teeth grinding together as he spoke. "do you have any idea, ANY IDEA what I go through everyday? I'm exhausted all the time. My joints hurt. I feel light headed. Half the time I feel like I'm gonna vomit. Those are the GOOD days. But do you know how I get through that? YOU, YOU and Finnick. So no. I won't be doing the treatment. Why? Because there is an 80% chance that it ruins my life and takes you both away from me. So if the choice is live a miserable life for a few more years with you, I will take it. Every single time. Because I love you damn it!”

She felt tears well up in her eyes  “I just… I want… I don't want you to-”

But again Nick cut her off. “YOU THINK I DO?! YOU THINK I WANT TO DIE? GOD DAMN IT!!!” With a growl he lashed out, slamming his fist against the wall. He was struggling to breathe, his breath shaking as tears slowly welled up in the corners of his eyes. “Judy… I don't want to die. I don't. I… I'm so scared of it. I've tried so hard to be at peace but, I want to live. I want to live and stay here and be with you and raise Finnick and watch him grow up. But I can't… I CAN'T. If there was some way I could stay… if there was some torture or some pain I could go through… that would let me stay… I do it. I wouldn't even think twice. But… but this… this isn't that Judy… that treatment… it's false hope. And knowing my luck it will kill me. So no, I won't take it. I won't do ANYTHING that takes me away from you or Finnick early. Because I want to have as much time as possible with you both before I'm supposed to die.”

In front of him tears were trickling down the sides of Judy's face as she looked at him. With a great deal of effort she managed to choke out, “I don't want you to die." She was moving  her paws coming up to grip his shirt while her face pressed against his chest. “Please. Please don't die, I need you."

She felt his arms wrapping around her shoulders tightly. "I don't want to Judy. I don't..." She felt his muzzle press firmly against the top of her head. “I can't do it. I can't imagine life without you.” He moved, gripping her paw and bringing it to his lips and kissing them shakily. “Without these paws. Or your voice or… or your scent…” he held her tighter, willing her to understand. “I can't… I won't do anything that takes me away from you. Not one single second sooner. I CAN'T.”

She held him close, desperate to keep him there. “Nick..."  She looked up at him, at his face, at his eyes. I love you Nickolas Wilde.”

She watched as tears welled up in his eyes. “I love you more Judy Hopps.”

 

\--------

 

“Nick, why are we out here?"

In front of her Judy watched as Nick turned to look at her, his expression soft. “You'll see in a few moments. Come on, we're almost there.”

They'd left the house a little while ago, a kind of sad silence falling between them as she'd allowed him to lead her. He'd led her along the road for several blocks pausing only to turn off the sidewalk they'd been following to cut through a large grassy field before they'd come to a stone wall that was taller than they were. Judy watched as Nick knelt down, cupping his hands together before speaking. “Step on my hands and I'll boost you up."

She stared at him and then looked to the wall. "Nick where are we? what's on the other side of that wall?"

But Nick shook his head. “No Judy. You're gonna have to trust me for this. Ok?" She blinked at him. his statement had been so simple, so plain. trust him. after a few seconds Nick spoke, his voice softer. “Judy… do you trust me?”

she took a deep breath. did she? she hadn't ever really stopped to wonder that. she loved him, she KNEW that. she wanted to be with him, again she KNEW that. but… trust… that… was much harder to answer. and yet… slowly she nodded. “yes. I trust you Nick."

Nick nodded and smiled. "then come over here, and step on my paws. I promise, you'll understand why in a few minutes.”

she sighed softly, resigning herself to doing as he had asked. moving forward she watched as he felt down, allowing her to put her right foot on his paws before -

“wh-whoa!"

suddenly the world fell out from under her as he lifted her off the ground. for a single second she felt as if nothing was supporting her, making her sway and wobble of balance. she reacted out of instinct, her paws coming up to flail for a moment and try to grab hold of the nearest thing to support her. that thing turned out to bed the edge of the wall Nick was trying to hoist her over. shakily she gripped the top of it, taking several deep breaths. beneath her Nick spoke. “now pull yourself up.” She nodded, more to herself than to him before doing as he'd said. even with the boost he was giving her she was still almost a foot too short to see over the wall, but after a few failed attempts she managed to find a small stone that stuck a bit further out that the others which gave her a foothold to work with. Pulling herself up Judy grunted, stepping up from her foothold before managing to swing one leg up and over the top of the wall. For a moment she paused, straddling the wall down the middle of her body as she rested there for a moment. Below her Nick was grinning. “Nice."

Despite her uncertainty about what they were doing she chuckled, a thrilling kind of rush flashing through her and making her feel giddy and exhilarated. “Wh-what about you? How will you get up here?"

He grinned up at her. “Like this."

She watched as he moved a ways away, putting a bit of distance between himself and the wall before turning and running back. When he was a few feet away he sprung upwards, easily clearing half the wall's height before his foot connected with the stone surface. With a grunt he pushed off whatever foothold he'd found. The extra boost managing to give him enough height to grab the top of the wall and-

“Oph!"

She winced slightly as Nick's chest collided harshly with the wall. She could hear the wind knocked out of him by the connection. Still he managed to grab the top of the wall, pausing for a moment to take several breaths before scrambling up and over until he too was straddling the wall just as she was. for a few moments they look at each other, both of them grinning at each other. “So, come here often?"

she couldn't help but laugh at the line. it was so casual, so nonchalant; it made her feel as if they were doing something completely normal and not as if they were sneaking into a-

her thoughts came to an abrupt almost screeching halt as she shifted her gaze, looking out over what was on the other side of the wall. beyond the wall a large expanse of grass and neatly kept shrubs stretched out. everything was well kept and manicured, clearly kept by professional landscapers. but  that was not what drew her attention and made her freeze. it was the array of tombstones that dotted the landscape that did that. She remained frozen, even as Nick rolled off the wall and dropped down onto the grass. “Come on. Drop, I'll catch you."

She stared down at him. He was acting so casual. Like they were going through a stroll in the park and not sneaking into a cemetery. It was… unnerving. They were sneaking into a graveyard? Why? What was the purpose of nick bringing her here? “N-nick… what are we doing here?”

Nick looked over his shoulder at the landscape of tombstones for a few moments before looking back up to her. “Trust me Judy."

She bit her lip, willing her careful and cautious nature to relax a little. Surely he had a good reason for bringing her here. She might not know what it was but… he surely had one… right?

Doing as he'd told her Judy finished climbing over the wall, rolling the rest of her body onto the other side where she hung from her paws for a moment. “now just drop down." Taking a deep breath she did just that, letting go of the wall and allowing herself to fall for a second before she felt a pair of strong warm arms wrap around her. “gotcha!"

see looked back at him for a moment, noting the grin that was covering his face. after a few moments he let her go and motioned for her to keep following him. “Nick..."

but he shook his head and kept motioning, so she sighed and simply did as he asked, following I'm as they slowly made their was between the tombstones. it was oddly quiet here. not that the plains district was all that noisy to begin with. but the cemetery was almost eerily silent. the normal sounds of households and other people were gone, replaced by the soft rustle of leaves as the wind blew around them and the soft sounds of their footsteps. if she believed in these kinds of things she would have thought they were about to be in the beginning of a zombie or monster movie. in front of her Nick came to a stop, his gaze down; looking at one of the small plaque style stones set into the ground. coming up next to him Judy looked down too, her eyes scanning the simple silver placard.

Fenneko Wild 

1972 - 2015 

The Mother Who Calmed The Storm 

 

Judy's eyes went wide while next to her Nick spoke softly. “Judy, this is my Mom. Mom… this is Judy.”

she turned to look at him, watching him in a mixture of silence and shock as he slowly sat down on the grass in front of the stone. after a few moments she managed to speak a few soft words. “N-nick… why?” it was all she could manage. she wasn't sure why being here was hitting her so hard. her throat felt like it was closing up and her heart was at the same time beating faster and clenching painfully.

from where he sat Nick looked up at her. “whenever I'm upset, or in trouble, or don't know what to do; I come here. and… well… it… I felt appropriate that you two should finally 'meet’.” as if to prove a point Nick looked to the grave marker. "Mom, this is the girl I was telling you about. the one I like. as in LIKE like… A LOT.” he smiled up at her playfully.

she bit her lip, still trying to form a coherent sentence through the wave of emotions she was feeling. after a few moments she managed another few words. “what about… Finnick?”

the moment she said it she wanted to kick herself. finnick? that's what she was thinking about right now? Nick had brought her the cemetery where his mother was buried and the only thing see could think of was the young fox and picking him up from school? what was wrong with her?!

again Nick looked up at her. “he has soccer after school today, so we have a little extra time before we have to go and pick him up. sit.” at the last word Nick patted the ground next to him. slowly Judy did so, sinking down onto the grass next to him as he again spoke. “I brought you here Judy so you'll understand. someday, I'll be here too. dead and cold and in the ground. maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe a week from now; but someday. I want out to underst-”

“I DO." she spoke so insistently that she cut I'm off, her voice echoing slightly around the empty area. “Nick… I know… I know that you're doing. I know.”

next to her Nick shifted to look at her. “good. because I need you to do something for me.”

she blinked at him. “what?"

Nick remained silent for several moments, his gaze going to the stone marker for a bit before returning to her. “when it happens… I'd like to be cremated. You don't have to put me in anything fancy. hell a plastic baggy would do just fine. but… i'd like to be cremated. ok?”

she stared at him. was he really; “Nick, why are you telling me this?"

next to her she watched as Nick took a deep breath before speaking. “Because I want to you to know what to do when the time comes.” he looked to her. "I trust you Judy. I trust you to carry out my last wishes and to take care of Finnick. And… I trust you… to make a decision I can't.”

she cocked her head slightly at that. a decision? one he couldn't make for himself? what kind of decision couldn't he make for himself? “what is it?"

Nick sighed softly. "I love you Judy. Being with you… I can't even tell you what's it's like. You make me so happy. But… I'm scared. I… for a long time I shut myself down. I just cut myself off from anyone or anything that could mean something to me. it was just me and Finnick and that was it. I didn't have friends. I didn't have family. I didn't talk to anyone and I didn't do anything. I just… existed and waited until I didn't anymore. then…” he smiled at her. “you came along. and even after I was a complete ass to you, you were still nice to me. you treated me like a person and not just a fox. we became friends… and for the first time in a long time I felt a little bit of happiness. I'd wake up and actually be excited to go to school cause I'd get to see you. I'd be out shopping or doing something and I'd want to call you or text you. Then I realized that I felt more for you than just friendship… and… and it was like a punch to the gut. me a fox, wanted to be in a relationship with you, a rabbit. I was scared. I kept trying to talk myself out of it; to tell myself it could never happen. but… I couldn't help but want it. so that day… when you kissed me… at the market… I truly couldn't stop it. I COULDN'T because I'd wanted it for months. that kiss… gods I can't tell you how good it felt. it was like someone had pulled a thorn out of my heart that had been there for months. then when your siblings found us reality came crashing back down. I'm a fox… you're a rabbit; it couldn't possibly work. before you came over I was stoned out of my mind; probably the highest I've ever gotten. I wanted to forget the kiss had ever happened, to go back to the way things have been before. but I couldn't open it. my mind… it kept showing me that kiss. over and over and over from ever angle and every perspective and… how desperately I wanted it to happen again.”

she watched as he broke off a moment, taking a deep breath as he looked up at the sky for several seconds before continuing. “Then… you showed up at my house and… I knew I had to do something. I had to stop what was happening. You liked me, ME; a walking dead man. I… I hoped that by telling you… you'd realize there was no future with me. that you'd drift away from me and I'd be alone again. it would have hurt; would have torn my heart out… but… I thought it's what needed to happen. But you didn't.” a small smile spread across his face. "gods I was frustrated with you. I want to tear my fur out. I was dying, AM dying but you didn't care. then… you kissed me again and… I lost it. I couldn't stop kissing you back. you were like a drug that I couldn't get enough of. Your were the one thing I NEEDED before I died. you still are. I love you Judy Hopps. you are my everything. but… what the doctor said… it's brought reality back into play. I am still dying. and if the last few weeks are any indication… it's starting to get worse… fast.”

she shook her head, her eyes widening at his words. “you don't know that Nick. you might just be having a… bad… month…”

her words trailed off as he looked at her sadly. “Maybe… but I think we both know it's more likely that I'm starting to decline. how many days am I getting sick even with the meds? two or three times a week now? I think It's safe to say my time is starting to wind down to its end.”

Judy felt tears well up in her eyes. slowly nick moved, her paw coming to he's before squeezing it softly. “it's ok Judy. it’s ok. I meant what I said before, I'm not afraid to die. it's something all have done before me and it's something all will do after me. there's no reason to be afraid of it. but… but you know what does scare me? knowing that I won't be there anymore. knowing that you and Finnick will wake up one day and I'll be nothing more than a memory. that someday, even if you don't mean to… you'll forget me. and that when that happens I'll be truly dead.” he sniffed softly, doing his best to keep his eyes from watering as he spoke. “I can't even tell you how badly that scares me. it fills me with this… cold dread in my stomach.”

he broke off again, forcing himself to take another deep breath. he felt almost light headed saying these things. as if each word were lifting some huge weight of his mind; even if he was just shifting the weight to her in the end. “In so many ways Judy you're better than me. You're so kind, and smart and beautiful and… and perfect. but more than that… you have hope… and that's something I lost a very VERY long time ago. maybe it's what had to happen for me to survive. without hope… there's nothing but logic. the knowledge of what is happening and what will happen. like the treatment the doctor wants me to take. I hear the numbers and I look at them from a strictly logical point of view. 20% chance it works. that's it; one out of every five. I hear those odds and… it seems like a death sentence to me. maybe the treatments won't kill me; maybe I'm one of the 32% that are inconclusive. or maybe I'm one of the 30% and nothing happens at all. but… to me those odds… they speak clearly. the treatment won't work. but… you… you see them differently. you hear the numbers and you see the hope in them. you hear 20% and you think that I could be one of them. that I could be one of the people who this treatment helps. and a part of me… a small small SMALL part of me that I thought died a long time ago… wonders if you're right.”

her eyes widened slightly. “Nick?"

he kept speaking, fearing that if he stopped he'd not be able to finish. "Ever since you came into my life Judy things have been better. I'm happy again. Everyday I wake up and look at you and think how lucky I am. I know it has to end at some point, but… I don't want it to end a second sooner than it absolutely has to. I want to be with you Judy Hopps for as long as I possibly can. until the absolute last second when death itself comes and drags me away from you kicking and screaming. But to do that… I… I need you to do something for me. I need you to help me make a decision.”

she nodded, sniffing loudly as she struggled to breath normally. she had a vague idea where this was going. Next to her Nick turned, looking her in the eyes before speaking again. “Judy… what should I do? should I take the treatment and hope for the best like you? or should I be happy with whatever I have left and savor every last moment of it until the very end? Help me choose.”

 

\-------

 

Jack savage was in a bad mood. no bad didn't even begin to describe his mood. Jack savage was PISSED OFF. he stormed through the train station, half shoving mammals out of his way as he searched the crowd. _Wilde, this is all Wilde's fault!_

it had started just after the fox had interrupted him and Judy in the hallway. the memory of that still made him grind his teeth in fury. what was that pelt's problem? why was he ALWAYS around? why did he have to show up Everytime he and Judy were alone? first on their date, then when he'd tried to apologize, and then again that time in the hallway. it was like a was stalking them or something, doing everything he could to keep them from being alone. and then there had been Judy's sudden shift in personality. she and he had known each other since they were six; he liked to think everyone knew Judy better than anyone else. which was why her sudden shift made no sense to him. she'd always been polite, quiet and smart. she wasn't some ditzy does who swooned whenever someone complimented her. but she also wasn't some  tomdoe who told people to go to hell for thinking of her as a girl. and yet ever since Wilde had shown up she'd changed. she'd become standoffish, rude, even downright stupid sometimes. no doubt Wilde had done something to cause this. had twisted her or tricked her into being this way. and Judy, being the kind mammal that she wasn't couldn't see it. couldn't see that that fox was manipulating and changing her into something she wasn't supposed to be. and now the news was running rampant through the school; even the teachers were talking about it. how Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps had dropped out, how they'd turned in their books and resigned from school and hadn't been seen since.

almost the next day rumors had swirled around as to why. there had been so many of them I'd stopped paying attention to them after a while.  They'd been sleeping together and she was pregnant with is kits. that Wilde was secretly some prince from some ass-backwards country who had come to find a bride and had chosen her. that judy was some kind of deviant who was using Wilde for sex as some kind of twisted kink. ok, that one he'd paid attention to, finding the mammal who'd started it; a rather scrawny otter and beat the crap out of him. but the facts didn't change. it had been over a month since anyone had seen either of them. and since Judy was the only one in her family to be attending that highschool no one had been able to ask her siblings anything. but that was going to change right now.

he rushed forward as he caught sight of another rabbit. “Jill!"

the rabbit turned, frowning at him slightly. “Jack? what are you-”

he cut her off, not really caring about anything she had to say other than to answer his question. “where is Judy?"

in front of him Jill blinked at him. "Judy?”

he nodded. "where is she?”

Jill shrugged and started to turn away. “how should I kn-"

he snarled in anger, grabbing her by the arm and turning her back to look at him. “I'M NOT KIDDING! WHERE IS SHE?! I WANT TO TALK TO HER NOW!”

in front of him Jill looked momentarily surprised for a moment. then-

“ooph!"

the blow came fast and silent, Jill's fist slamming painfully into his stomach knocking the wind out of him and making jack cough and spluttered for air. “don't touch me Jack. as for Judy, I don't know where she is. but she'd probably out with that damn fox of her's.”

he struggled to straighten up, his lungs still aching from the sudden loss of air as he spoke. “wh-what?"

in front of him Jill raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't know?" he shook his head, uncertainty making his mind swirl with possibilities. what didn't he know? Jill chuckled before continuing. “Oh Jack had I got a story for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would you do?
> 
> Take the 20% chance?  
> Or enjoy what you have already?


	17. What you're owed

It was a faint shift in the bed that made her wake. She'd grown used to some movements. Aside from no longer sleeping alone, Nick's tail and feet had a tendency to twitch a little when the fox slept. The few times she'd seen it, the involuntary movements had made her grin. They were cute, and made her wonder what he was dreaming about. But this, this was a different kind movement. For several seconds she remained silent and still, feeling as listening as Nick moved. They often cuddled as they slept, she'd lay down first; usually being the first one who was done with their nightly routine. A short while later he'd clamber into bed next to her, his arm coming around to wrap around shoulders or hips. But now…

Gently his grip around her shoulder tightened, softly pulling her backwards into his chest. At the same time his nose pressed in against her neck, a soft but clearly deep inhale sounding a moment later. There's no mistaking the tone of the inhale, fearful, worried, desperate. Like a cub clinging to his mother while being encouraged to do something scary for the first time. “You ok?"

He stiffened slightly at her words, his voice whispering softly a moment later. “I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to wake you.”

Slowly she shifted, moving and rolling until she was facing him. Her eyesight wasn't very good in the dark, but she can clearly see his darkened form. There's no mistaking the way feeling he's letting off; he's afraid. “Hey, everything will be ok."

Next to her he inhales softly. “Y-yeah."

She sighed softly, moving a little bit closer to gently run her paw along his chest. She could understand why he was afraid. The last few weeks have been rather alarming, even for her. And she wasn't even the main focus of everything that had happened. The day after they'd gone to the doctor she'd had Nick call back and enroll in the trail. That had been a quick call, just a few quick comments and a commitment to come back into the office later that week. Two days later they'd returned to the office and that's when things had become slightly hectic. The doctor had said there were 'a few’ tests that they needed to run; as a precaution to make sure Nick was strong enough and relatively healthy enough to participate in the trial. Those 'few’ tests had resulted in them spending almost eight hours being shuffled from room to ring and wing to wing of the doctor's office as Nick had been examined, prodded, tested, reexamined and then moved to a new area. On one hand it had been incredibly frustrating, being constantly moved and ushered along and told 'just one more’ which because two more, then three and then five. On the other hand… it had helped to to understand better Nick's state of health and how it had changed over the years.

When he'd first been diagnosed Nick had weighed 90 lbs. But over the course that had slid down to his current weight of 53 lbs. In fact the more she learned about how Nick's physical state had been three years ago vs today the more concerned she became. Everything was done. His weight, muscle mass, stamina, nutritional absorption rates, white blood cell count, platelet counts even his daily average calories; each new fact making it more and more clear just how sick Nick truly was. And yet through all of it Nick had remained upbeat, laughing and joking as if nothing was wrong. But as she sat there watching 'yet another’ test being run she'd felt her stomach twist and churn almost painfully. Three years, for three years Nick had dealt with all of this alone on top of raise Finnick

Taking a deep breath Judy shifted, gently nuzzling Nick's neck and collar bone. “I mean it Nick. You'll see. This will work. It has to."

He was silent for several seconds, the only sound that of him moving and pulling her a little closer against him. then softly he spoke  “h-how do you know?" 

She looked up at him in the dark. After several moments she spoke softly. “Because the universe owes you this. IT OWES YOU. You've handled everything it's thrown at you. All the shit and heartache and pain. And you… you turned out beautiful and loving. So this,” her paw went to his chest to softly run through the fluff. "The universe owes you THIS. That's how I know." 

She felt him shift slightly, both of them leaning in so their lips touched for a few perfect seconds. “Ok. Well I'll be sure the universe knows that." 

She chuckled softly. "you do that.”

 

\-----

 

The day started like any other. They got up, ran through their morning routine of showering, brushing teeth and washing faces.Their routine changed slightly though when it came time for Nick to usually take his meds. The doctor had warned them that the meds he was currently one would interfere with the meds from the trial and could have bad side effects. As such Nick was to skip the pills for the day and in fact the rest of the trial. She watched has he put his toothbrush away, watching as his eyes flickered to the cabinet out of reflex where his meds were. After a few seconds though, Nick turned away instead his eyes going to hers while he let out a nervous chuckle. “Ok, time for breakfast." 

The night before, they had agreed that Finnick didn't need to know what was happening. The longer he could be kept in the dark the better. At the time Judy had wondered if she should tell Nick that the small fox knew something was wrong; her mind wandering back to when Nick had stormed out of the house leaving her and Finnick alone. But in the end she'd decided against it. Keeping Finnick in the dark didn't seem to be for JUST the small fox's benefit, it seemed to provide Nick with some form of relief as well. As she finished getting ready for the day she listened as Finnick slowly woke up and began to move around and get ready. Just as always she met the young fox halfway down the hallway on the way to the kitchen. 

Breakfast was delicious as always, a meal of toast, eggs, fruit and milk. As they ate Judy watched as Nick nibbled on the small bit of dry toast the doctor's had cleared him to have for the day. She could tell he was nervous, anyone could see that. Silently she wished there was something she could say or do that would help him. Across from them Finnick looked at Nick. “Is daddy ok?"

Nick blinked, his eyes going to the small fox. “Y-yeah little man. Daddy… just has a lot on his mind right now.”

Finnick's ears flickered forward curiously. “Can I help?" 

Nick smiled at Finnick before shaking his head. “thanks for asking little man, but no. I'll be ok. is just daddy stuff.”

Finnick continued to look at Nick for a few more moments before going back to his food. checking her phone Judy found it was almost time for them to go. no seemed to be thinking the same thing because he grinned slightly to Finnick. “hey little man, wanna go to school in a different way than usual?”

Finnick looked at him curiously. “different?" 

Nick nodded. "Judy's dad is gonna drive us in his truck, and we can ride in the back.”

Finnick's eyes widened and bit. “coooool!”

Nick grinned wider and nodded. “yeah! ok let's hurry up and finish eating so we can go!" 

it was amusing to watch Finnick eat after that. the small fox taking several large bites that were almost to big for his mouth before somehow managing to swallow them. as the last mouthful of food vanished and knock at the door made all of their ears perked up. “I'll get it. you two clean up the kitchen." 

Nick nodded, motioning for Finnick to help collect the plates and dishes while Judy got to her feet and moved to open the front door. sure enough her father was on the other side, clad in the same overalls and plaid shirt he'd worn since she was born. “morning Dad." 

she stepped aside, allowing her father to step into the house before closing the door. a moment later she was pulled into a soft hug, which she returned. “morning pumpkin. how are you doing?" 

Judy sighed, pulling back from the hug but not breaking it. "I'm ok. Nervous. but… I'm hopeful." 

her father nodded before glancing to the kitchen . “and how's… Nick doing?" 

Judy's eyes flickered to the kitchen doorway too; beyond which she could hear the blink and clang of the dishes being loading into the dishwasher. “he's nervous. but… I think maybe… he's hopeful.”

again he father nodded. “good. positivity can make all the difference." 

she smiled in response, using her dad for a moment again before breaking the contact as Nick and Finnick emerged from the kitchen. “morning Mr hopps. thanks for doing this." 

Stu waved a paw. "Call me Stu. and it's no problem. I was going to go that way anyways.” 

It was a lie, but one that Nick appreciated. He watched as Stu knelt down slightly to look at Finnick. “hey little guy, ready to go to school?" 

Finnick nodded eagerly and Stu chuckled. "you remind me of Judy when she was younger. always so excited to go to school. Well then let's go.”

and go they did, with Judy and her father climbing into the cab of the truck while Nick and Finnick climbed into the back. as he did so Nick caught Judy's eye. “I'll sit in the cab with you after." 

Judy smiled, nodding in understanding and watching as Nick climbed up into the bed of the truck, settling himself against the back of the cab while Finnick bounced and squirmed excitedly as if it was Christmas morning.

The ride to Finnick's school was exciting for the small fox who giggled and yelp with glee at each little bump and jolt that shook the truck. By the time they reached the school Finnick was grinning ear to ear as he jumped down from the bed of the truck. “That was so cool!"

Nick chuckled at the smaller fox's excitement. “Glad you enj-"

His words broke off as Finnick spun around and grabbed his leg, pulling it into a tight hug. “Thank you Daddy!"

Kneeling down Nick bit his lip, feeling his heart quiver slightly as he shifted and pulling Finnick into a tight hug. He held the smaller fox tightly, his mouth twitching into a smile. “Little man, I love you."

He felt Finnick squeeze him tighter. "I love you too Daddy."

After several moments Nick pulled away to look at Finnick. “Judy is gonna pick you up tonight. So you be on your best behavior for her. Ok?”

The small fox nodded. "ok.”

Nick smiled and tousled the fur between Finnick's ears. “Now go have a great day.”

Finnick giggled and grinned, turning to run towards the school building. Next to him Nick felt Judy move, her paw slipping into his. “Ready?" 

Inhaling deeply Nick nodded. “Yeah. I think so."

Gently Judy squeezed his paw. "Remember, you're owed this. So everything will be ok."

He nodded silently, turning a moment later to follow Judy back to the waiting truck.

 

\-----

 

As they came to a stop in front of the hospital Stu spoke. “the treatment should be done around 2pm or so?"

Judy nodded. "Yeah. The doctors say they'll want to keep him for an hour of observation and he'll be really out of it so… meet us back here at 3pm?”

Stu nodded. “Will do."

Leaning on Judy gave her father a quick peck on the cheek. “Thank you for doing this dad."

Stu shrugged. “Of course pumpkin. And you," he looked to Nick. “You better get better after all this effort."

Nick grinned and nodded. "Oh I know. Otherwise Judy is gonna kick my ass.”

At that Stu chuckled. "Damn straight." 

Climbing out of the truck Nick and Judy paused for a moment, watching as Stu drove off before turning and entering the hospital. Getting signed in took only a few minutes and it turned out they were a tad early, which had them both waiting until a nurse came to take Nick away. That had been something neither of them were happy about. Nick would have to go through the treatments alone, without Judy being there. “I'll be right out here. ok? The whole time.”

Nick nodded, his throat having gone dry. Silently he opened his mouth several times, trying to find the right words to convey what he wanted to say. But try as he might he couldn't find the right words. How was he supposed to tell her? How could he tell her everything she'd done for him? “I… I love you.”

Next to him Judy smiled, leaning over to rest her head against his shoulder gently. “I love you more fox.”

He closed his eyes, resting his head against her. He felt her shift slightly  her paw returning to his to give it a gentle squeeze while…

He blinked, looking down as she pushed something into his other paw. For a moment he stared at it, his mind unsure if he was seeing it right. “Uh… carrots?”

Judy chuckled. "I got it the other day. It's a recorder. I made a little message for you. I was gonna give it to you tonight but I think you could use it during your treatment.”

Nick chuckled, turning over the novelty carrot pen. "o-”

"Nick WILDE?" 

Nick felt his heartbeat jump several beats at the sound of his name. Next to him Judy squeezed his paw again. “You can do this. Everything will be ok. I'll be here the whole time. I promise.”

Nodding Nick struggled to get to his feet, his heart hammering almost painfully in his chest while his paw clutched the pen in a near deathgri-

The feeling of Judy's lips on his made him pause, his mind seeming to forget everything else but her in that moment. For a moment he allowed himself to savor the feeling of her beautiful soft lips. Gods he'd fallen so in love with those lips. They felt so right against his, so beautifully perfect that he couldn't understand how he'd lived without them. After several seconds Judy pulled away, looking up at him with a smile that made him feel as if he were already cured. “I love you Nick Wilde. Now go and get what the universe owes you.”

He nodded. "Yes ma'am.”

Following the nurse who'd called him, Nick allowed himself to be led through the hospital and to a small room off the main hall. Stepping into the room he found a slightly ominous looking chair with an even more ominous array for IV bags and drips had been set-up behind it. At the nurses instructions he climbed up into the chair, sitting nervously for a few minutes before his doctor appeared and explained what was going on happen.

“It's simple really," the ram explained. “the fluid in the bags have been infused with the experimental drugs. We'll monitor your vitals as they are pumped into you. And then once that is done well give you a small sedative to help you relax. Then we'll begin the second and third round of drugs. And then once you wake up, you'll be cleared to go. Ok?”

He nodded, his throat feeling painfully dry and tight. In his paws he anxiously clutched the recorder pen Judy had given him. He did his best to remain calm, forcing himself to take deep breaths as his doctor moved closer and began to prepare him. He closed his eyes a looked away, a small involuntarily hiss coming from him a second later as he felt a small cold pinch of the needle being pressed into his skin. Once the IVs were in and secured the doctor moved around Nick to one of the machines connected to the drugs. “Ok, here we go."

It was… a unique feeling to say the least. At first nothing happened. Nick found himself sitting there anxiously in the chair watching as one of the colored liquids in one of the bags before to move. He held his breath slightly,  watching as the pale slightly blue tinted liquid slowly moved down tube, coming closer and closer and closer until; he forced himself to breath, looking away from the liquid as it reached the end of the tube and slowly began to drip into his body. Instead he looked down at the pen Judy had given him. It was a simple recorder pen snapped like a carrot. With two small buttons on the side. One for recording a message and the other for playing the recording. Pressing the play button Nick listened closely, the sound of Judy's voice meeting his ears a moment later.

“You are my sunshine, my perfect sunshine. You make me happy because you're great  You'll never know dear how much I love you. You'll always be my Sunshine baby. I love you Nickolas Wilde. No matter what happens, you will always be the love of my life.”

The sound of her voice mixed with the words she was speaking. It made Nick's eyes water, tears welling up in them before trickling down the sides of his face. He pressed the play button again  listening to the message again, and again and again. Each repetition causing him to choke up even more. He wished she was here right now. He wished he could run to here and pull her into his arms. He wished he could hold her, clutch her against him and never ever let go. She was perfect, so impossibly perfect. How had he ever managed to find her? He played the message again, feeling it again tug at his heart just as it had the first time. She was an angel. That was the only way to describe the grey bunny he'd fallen for. An angel, a true honest to lion Christ angel. That was the only explanation, the only to describe how she could possibly be so kind and loving and beautiful all at the same time.  _ And she loves me.  _

He felt his heart swelled again, his grip on the pen tightening slightly. Biting his lip he looked to the IV connected to his arm. This would work. He'd MAKE it work if he had to. He'd sell his soul to the devil if that's what it took to make this work. Anything to have more time with her. To have more time to hold her and kiss her and just… bathe in her beauty. ANYTHING.

“Ok Mr Wilde. We're going to start administering the sedative now." 

The sound of the doctor's voice made him jerk slightly, looking up to see that the bag of bluish liquid was almost empty. He nodded after a few moments, managing a soft; “o-ok."

A few moments later he felt something change. Some kind of pleasant coolness that started in his arm and made his body feel heavy as it began to spread rapidly. With a great deal of effort he pressed the button on the pen one more time, the sound of Judy's voice filling his his ears.

“You are my sunshine my perfect sunshine..."

 

\--------

 

It was nerve wracking to say the least. To sit there in the waiting room, not knowing what was happening to Nick inside. She knew he was in the best possible care, they were in a hospital and Nick was no doubt surrounded by a dozen or so doctors and nurses watching his every move. If even the slightest thing went wrong they'd be there to help him. And yet…

She forced herself to breath, to take slow deep breaths and try to ignore the urge to tear out her fur and rip her ears off. She wished she could be in there with him. Hell, she wished she could have done this with him. She would have. She would have done anything to make him better. The hours seemed to drag by, each one going by slower than the last. And then-

“Honey?"

The sound of her mother's voice made her jump, her head jerking to find that indeed her mother had appeared and was standing there next to her. For several seconds her mind went blank as she tried to remember if they'd talked about meeting her there to wait. She was fairly sure they hadn't. “M-mom?"

She watched as next to her, her mom smiled before sitting down. “I thought you could use some company while you wait and your father parks the truck.”

Judy felt her throat constrict slightly. She hadn't expected that. She'd been surprised enough when her dad had agreed to help get Nick to and from the hospital but… this…

“Th-thanks." She wasn't sure what else to say, or if she even could say anything the emotional rollercoaster of the last few days having left her feeling raw and worn out. 

Next to her her mother smiled. “Of course dear. We're all in this together."

She could only nod. It helped, not being there alone anymore. A few minutes later her father appeared, sitting down with them as they waited. It was taking long than she'd expected it too. The doctor had said the treatment should take about four hours. It was now going on five.  _ What's going on? Is everything ok? When is someone gonna come out and ta _ -

“Ms Hopps?"

She blinked, her eyes going to a small ferret nurse who'd come up to her. “Y-yes?"

The nurse smiled pleasantly at her. “If you'd like to follow me the doctor can speak to you now."

Judy felt a small wave of relief washed through her as she got to her feet. Her mom and dad did the same, making the ferret look between them, slightly confused. “I'm sorry… the doctor only mentioned one Ms Hopps who… are you two?”

Bonnie smiled. "We're Ms Hopps parents. We've come to help."

The nurse continued to look between them. "and… you're all here for… Mr Wilde?"

There was a slight hint of uncertainty in her voice. No doubt confused as to why three rabbits would be there to see a sick fox. For a moment Judy felt anger bubble up in her stomach. Who carried what species they were? What did it matter that Nick was a fox and they weren't? Who-

But the feeling of her mother's paw on her shoulder made her pause. “Yes we are. Mr Wilde is our son in law.” The ferret's eyes widened slightly, her mouth opening to speak only to be overspoken. “So if you could kindly take us back, we're very anxious to take him home.”

The ferret continued to look between them for a moment more before nodding and motioning for them to follow her. Falling in line Judy slowly and her parents followed the ferret back, passing through several winding hallways before stepping through a doorway and…

Judy's eyes widened as they came to a stop. In front of them, laying in a small bed was Nick. His eyes were closed, his breathing was slow and for a moment Judy found herself amazed and just how small the fox she loved looked. He seemed so much smaller than he usually was. 

“Hello Ms Hopps, it's good to see you again."

Glansing in the direction of the voice Judy nodded slowly to Nick's doctor  “h-how did it… go?”

The doctor smiled. "about as well as this stage could. No immediate reactions to the drugs or the sedative, so that's good. Now we'll let you take him home. And then in two weeks we'll all be here again.”

Nodding weakly Judy heard her mom speak next to her. “Doctor is there anything we should look out for?”

The doctor nodded. "Vomiting, or if he has any kind of headaches. He'll be pretty tired for the rest of today and probably tomorrow, but if his fatigue persists beyond that, it'll be something to worry about. Here,” Judy watched as the doctor produced a small business card which she took when he offered it to her. “If anything else happens, anything that doesn't seem right or you're unsure of; call me. Don't hesitate, day or night.” She nodded silently, her eyes still on Nick's sleeping body. Had he always been so small?

They were there only a little bit longer, with Judy signing some paperwork while some warderlies helped transfer the still asleep Nick to a wheelchair before they slowly wheeled him out to the front of the hospital. Getting Nick into the truck was a little tricky. Judy's father had her get in first and lean with her back against the passenger door before carefully lifting Nick and passing him to her so they could share a seatbelt and the sleeping fox could lean against her for support. Even with him practically sitting in her lap, the cab of the truck was tight. Bonnie had to sit with Nick's tail on her lap so it didn't get stepped on. Every now and then the tip would flicker slightly, a response to whatever Nick was dreaming. After several minutes Judy heard her mother chuckle softly. “It's very expressive."

She smiled weakly and nodded.

“J...y..."

The sound of her fox's weak voice made her stiffen, her grip on him tightening a bit. “Nick?"

She felt him move slightly, his head pulling limply to the side so one of his green eyes could look up at her. “Ju… dy…” his eye was almost completely glazed over, the drugs still very much present in his system. Still the sound of his voice made her feel hopeful.

“I'm here Nick. I'm right here."

She watched as slowly his eye drifted closed and didn't reopen. A soft murmur coming from him a moment later before he drifted back off to sleep. “Lo… you….”

The rest of the ride was silent, Nick remained completely asleep with only the faint twitching a of his tail. When they arrived at the home Stu and Bonnie pulled Nick from the truck, managing to carry him between them while Judy rushed forward to unlock the door and guide them to the bedroom where they laid Nick down to sleep. gently tucking Nick under the blanket Judy glandes at the clock next to the bed. with Nick's treatment running late she had about 30 minutes to go and pick up Finnick from school. her father must have known what she was thinking because he spoke to her from the doorway to the bedroom. “I can take you to pick up Finnick.” 

she didn't even bother to argue, instead she just nodded; looking at her sleeping for for just a moment more before leaving the room and joining her mom and dad in the truck. they drove in silence to the school, Judy looking out the window at the passing scenery as they drove. it didn't take them long to reach the school. and as they got out the school Bell rang, followed moments later by a tidal wave of students who burst from the doors and stampeded in every direction. scanning the crowds of kids Nick quickly found Finnick; finding the small fox was running and giggling with what must have been friends from his class. waving to him she watched as the small fox changed direction and ran to her. “Judy!" 

she smiled at him, staggering slightly as he grabbed her leg and hugged them tightly. behind them Judy heard her parents Huckleberry softly. after several moments Finnick looked around before looking up at her. “Where's daddy?" 

Judy squirmed a little, kneeling down so she was more on level with Finnick. "daddy is sleeping right now. he as a VERY tiring day." 

Finnick nodded after a moment. "ok, I be very quiet.”

Judy smiled at the small fox. "ok. come on, let's go home." 

Finnick grinned at her before before noticing her parents behind them. “HI."  as he spoke he waved to them, making her mother smiled and wave back. “Hey little guy. how was school?" 

Instantly the fox launched into all the things he'd done that day. in a way it was rather cute, the small fox was so enthusiastic about almost everything. his tail would way and he'd be almost vibrating as he told them about something he'd learned or something the teacher had done or some thing the class had all done together. it really was a sweet thing to watch. and Judy found herself hoping that he didn't lose that excitement anytime soon. 

the ride back home was quick, broken only by a short detour they took to swing through a fast food restaurant Omni's; for dinner. ordering the small fox a burger Judy smiled as she found herself recalling the times her mom and dad had taken her out to eat. growing up on a farm she could count the number of times they'd eaten out on both her paws. a short time later they were pulling up in front of the house. as they came to a stop Stu spoke. “Ok pumpkin. here we are. keep us updated to date ok?" 

she nodded, leaning over to give her dad a quick peck on the cheek before doing the same to her mother. "thank you. both of you." 

they both nodded to her. “of course." 

the rest of the night passed rather quickly. she'd ordered Nick a small burger too, just in case he was hungry when he woke up. as it turned out though Nick didn't wake up, sleeping straight through the evening until Judy was crawling into bed next to him. only then did the fox stir, a soft groan escaping his lips before he stirred slightly. “hu… wha…”

she gently touched his shoulder. “shhhh. it's ok Nick. it's just me." 

he groaned weakly again. "what… time… is it?" 

Judy shrugged. “11 or so." 

Nick groaned again, slowly shifting and rolling until he was on his back. “I… slept… all day?”

she nodded, her paw going to his chest. “yeah.  but it's ok. the doctor said that’s normal.”

she felt Nick relax against the bed. “I think… I woke up… during the drive back… I… I could hear… y-your heartbeat. it… was nice.”

She moved in a little closer to him. “How do you feel?"

She listened to him breath for a few minutes, inhaling and exhaling slowly before. “Sleepy and… kinda… foggy."

She smiled to herself. “You should go back to sleep. Everything is ok. Finnick ate dinner and did his homework. He's sleeping now.”

Nick shifted slightly. "Thanks. Hey… can… can I listen to… your heart again?"

Judy blinked,slightly surprised by the request. “I… uh… sure.”

She adjusted their positions on the bed, helping Nick to roll onto his side while moving his head so one of his ears was trapped over her chest. After a few moments Nick sighed softly. “It's really pretty. Just like you."

Judy felt her face heat up slightly. Her paw want to his head, gently running through the fur between his ears. She'd been about to say something when a small sound made her look up. She watched as the door opened slowly, a small form standing in the crack. “Daddy… can I… sleep here tonight?”

Nick groaned softly. "yeah… come here little… man."

Slowly Finnick came into the room climbing up and onto the bed. There were a few moments of moving an adjusting, but surprisingly they didn't have to move much to accommodate the small fox. Judy smiled as she found Finnick had squeezed himself into a small gap between her and Nick's body. Mentally she could imagine their positions, making them look like something out of a family magazine. “Goodnight Nick. Goodnight Finnick."

Nick mumbled weakly sleep clearly overtaking him. "Good...night Judy… Finn..."

In the middle of his words sleep took him, making Nick's voice trail off. After a few moments Judy felt Finnick yawn widely before mumbling softly. “Goodnight Daddy." She smiled and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to ta- 

“Goodnight Mommy." 

 

\-------

 

The next day was hard to describe. On one hand Judy was doing her best to make them seem normal. For the first day Nick was in no condition to move. Her fox was barely able to roll over in bed; there was no way he'd have been up for fixing breakfast, and taking Finnick to school. So she did those things, fixing breakfast and helping the small fox to get ready for school. For a few moments she'd been worried Finnick would start fussing over the change, but the small fox seemed to be mostly ok with it. The only time he hesitated was when it was time to go and then he insisted and saying goodbye to Nick even if he was still fast asleep. As they rode the train Judy shifted a little, looking at the small for as he watched as world go by. “Finnick… why did you call me Mommy last night?”

The small fox looked to her, his expression confused. “Because you're mommy."

She stared at him. "how so?”

Finnick grinned at her. "you love daddy right?"

Judy blinked, slightly taken aback by the question. Slowly she nodded. “Yes."

Finnick nodded again. “And daddy can only love mommy. So if you love daddy and daddy loves you, then you must be mommy.”

He said it as though it was that simple. As if it was just common knowledge. She turned that information over in her head, even as she watched the young fox run off to the school building for class. In a way, a very childish and simplistic kind of way… he was right. She was still thinking about what Finnick had said when she'd walked through the front door. The faint smell of something made her nose twitch. Following the smell she stepped into the living room, a small smile spreading across her face as she found Nick spread out asleep on the couch; a small plate of toast sitting on the coffee table. Smiling to herself Judy moved, covering Nick with a blanket before taking one of the pieces of discarded toast and turning on the TV to its lowest volume setting.

In the evening Nick was a little more active, managing to make a simple dinner for all of them to enjoy together. But as Finnick ran off to get ready for bed Judy could almost feel the exhaustion rolling off Nick in waves. With a little bit of encouragement they'd gone to bed soon after. Again laying so Nick's ear was against her chest so he could fall asleep to the sound of her heartbeat.

The second day was almost identical, the only difference being that nausea joined Nick's exhaustion, result in Nick making himself a kind of nest in the bathroom. Remembering what the doctor had said Judy called the hospital, telling Nick's doctor who told her to keep a close eye on him. If he started vomiting they were to come in immediately. Luckily Nick hadn't thrown up, which she'd taken as a good sign  Even if the sight of her fox so tired he was curled up in the bathtub felt like an i'll-omen.

The third day brought with it chills and aches. Making Nick shiver as if he were in a deep winter while his joints and bones tingled and throbbed. The fourth day brought a small respite, leaving Nick feeling tired but without other complications. The fifth day hit him like a truck with all the previous symptoms coming back in full force. Each day became a game of 'what symptoms do we have to contend with today’? In the back of her mind she couldn't help but but dread the slowly coming second treatment. If one treatment had made Nick this sick… what would the second do to him? Unwelcome came the memory of what the doctor had said, that in some patients the treatment had made things much worse. She prayed Nick wasn't one of those patients, that he was just being hit unusually hard by whatever was going on inside his body. And yet each day seemed to be worse than the last. 

She did the best she could. Comforting and helping Nick when he needed, making sure Finnick was taken care of and making sure the home stayed clean. It was a tough task. Twice she had to call her mom to come help because she simply found herself overwhelmed by it all. And then suddenly the two weeks were up and once again her father and mother came to help take them to the hospital. She'd been hopeful that day. Nick was doing a bit better today, he was still tired; the folds under his eyes making that perfectly clear. But in his own words the nausea was manageable and the pain he felt was nothing he hadn't felt before. And yet as she'd sat there watching as the doctor looked over the results of Nick's blood test she felt something change. It was in the way the doctor's eyes widened. The way his mouth parted slightly as he looked over the results of the test before looking up at them. “It's… working.”

 

\----------

 

Slowly Nick wild walked along the path. It had been far to long since he'd gone for a walk. How long had it been? He was always walking somewhere. To school, to the doctor, to drop Finnick off or pick him up. How long had it been since he'd just… walked? He closed his eyes, inhaling the sweet fresh air. A small breeze ruffled his fur as he did so, making his ears twitch as the trees around him rustled. He could still hear the doctor's words in his head. It was working. IT. WAS. WORKING.

His numbers had gone up. Not a lot, but enough that the doctor was certain it wasn't just a random fluctuation. And while the second treatment had again left him dazed and exhausted by the fifth day he felt… well not great, but better than he had the first time around. He'd decided to go for a walk. To enjoy the feeling of the wind and sun but also; slowly he reached into his pocket. A moment later he withdrew the small orange carrot pen Judy had given him. How many times had he listened to her message? A dozen time? A hundred times? A thousand times? Each time still made him feel the same. Still made his chest tighten and his heart quiver. The message was filled with such love. And yet the more he listened to it the more he could hear it. The tone of fear, of desperation in her voice. The sound of a woman desperate to make the man she loved know just how much that love was. It was a beautiful message, one that had been recorded in one of the worst moments of both their lives. But now things were getting better. Now…

Slowly he brought the pen up, pressing the button before starting to speak. “Hey carrots. It's me. I… I wanted to record this so you'd know… I love you. I love you so much. If you hadn't talked me into the trial…  if you h-hadn't…” he broke off for a moment, his voice shaking so much he had to take several deep breaths. “Thank you. Thank you so much for having hope. Thank yo-”

“WILDE!!!"

He spun around at the sound of the his name, barely having time to register the grey blur rushing towards him. But he felt it when the blur's fist connected with his stomach. The air exploded from his lungs at the contact. a yelp of pain escaping his mouth and echoing around him. a second later he felt the blur reach up and grab his ear, painfully yanking him down before another blow crashed against the side of his face. he staggered from the force of the blow, stumbling backwards before losing his balance and falling to the ground in a heap. before he even had time to try and put up a fight his attacker was one him. 

“YOU PELT! YOU WORTHLESS DISGUSTING NO GOOD PELT!" 

another blow slammed into his face, making his head snap back and painfully hit the ground. above him he could see-

the next blow made his eyes water as it  I slammed against his jaw and muzzle. A sharp pain lancing through his jaw. then another, making his ears ring as it collided with the side of his head. And another that left his head throbbing as his head slammed back down against the ground. all the while he could hear his attacker still yelling. no doubt shouting more profanity at him. he tried to get away, his paws coming up to try and push the attacker off of him or to maybe try and block the blows there were slamming into his head every few seconds but to no avail. he might have been able to do it before; but the treatments had left him weakened. his muscles felt like jelly as he tried to use them. he felt the attacker grab the collar of his shirt roughly; his punches growing in strength as his yelling grew louder. 

“YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" 

another blow connected, this one landing under his jaw making it click roughly shut as his head jerked upwards. weakly he felt pain lance through his tongue as his teeth bit down on the soft fleshy appendage. a moment later he gasped, his paws going up weakly to his attacker as he felt two paws press against his throat. he coughed and choked, his paws scratching and tearing at his attacker's arms. his resistance was barely noticed, his assailant’s only response was to tighten his grip around Nick's throat. 

“SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE MINE! YOU STOLE HER FROM ME!" 

he struggled harder, the throbbing in his head growing stronger as his lungs burned for air. desperately he he brought his hind legs up, managing to get them under his attacker before kicking out. suddenly the grip around his throat vanished, leaving him gasping and coughing as air rushed into his lungs. he tried to yell for help, to make some kind of noise loud enough that someone might hear him. but his voice turned into a storm of coughing as his throat clenched and tightened. he moved, managing to roll into his side in an attempt to crawl aw-

a second later he screamed in pain, his body reacting out of reflex, his arms going to his stomach as he felt a foot slam into his chest. 

“JUST DIE! JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY YOU NO GOOD PELT!” the next kick connected with his ribs, a nearly blinding amount of pain ripping through his chest making him wheeze and cough. ass he did so he felt something wet drip down the side of his mouth. more kicks assaulted him, each one connecting with his stomach, ribs, and arms making pain explode from each strike.

he did the only going early could do; closed his eyes and waited for it to be over. slowly he started to go numb, the pain from each kick blending together until he couldn't feel anything anymore except the pain. his mind went to Judy, to how beautiful she'd looked when he'd told her was going to go for a walk. he felt tears well up in his eyes. he wished he could see her again so he could tell her that he loved her and just how happy she had made him the last few weeks. “J-Jud-AHHHH!" 

he screamed in pain as he felt something come crashing down on his tail, crushing the sensitive limb. above him his attacker yelled again. “NOW JUST LAY THERE AND DIE!" 

a final kick to him, catching his squarely in the jaw and sending his head reeling backwards from the force. this time the ringing in his ears didn't stop. his vision swam in and out of focus and vaguely he could taste metal in his mouth along with the feeling of something warm and wet coming from his nose. he tried to move, only for pain to radiate from his legs at the attempt. He tried to call for help but found he could only cough and gasp for air, feeling as if there was a knife in his chest. 

He felt dizzy, his senses refusing to work properly through the pain he was feeling. His vision began to darken. He felt cold suddenly. The day was warm and sunny and yet… he felt so cold now. He could feel himself slipping, the inky darkness of unconsciousness rising up to drag him down into its depths. In the back of his mind something he'd said echoed cruelly.  _ You don't get the girl. People with your story don't get to live happily ever after. They just get to die at the end. _


	18. As A Result

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ok.... for those of you who dont want to read a certain scene that has been predicted there is a set of double linebreaks THAT IS YOUR QUE TO SKIP FORWARD UNTIL YOU SEE THE SECOND SET OF DOUBLE LINE BREAKS. 
> 
> i would encourage you to keep reading though.
> 
> please note the added tags

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok.... for those of you who dont want to read a certain scene that has been predicted there is a set of double linebreaks THAT IS YOUR QUE TO SKIP FORWARD UNTIL YOU SEE THE SECOND SET OF DOUBLE LINE BREAKS. 
> 
> i would encourage you to keep reading though.

Something wasn't right. Nervously chewing her lip Judy shifted from her spot on the couch so she could check her phone. 5:49pm, Nick had been gone for over an hour. Frowning Judy recalled what Nick had said. That he was feeling a bit better and that he wanted to go for a walk and enjoy a little fresh air. And when she'd questioned him about where he would walk to he'd simply shrugged and said “around the block.” Making up her mind Judy moved, getting to her feet before quickly putting on her shoes as jacket. As she did so a small sound made her turn, finding Finnick standing in the hallway watching her. “Where are you going?"

Judy bit her lip again, trying to decide how much to tell the small fox. After a moment she decided. “I'm going out to look for your dad. He's been gone a long time.”

Finnick's eyes widened before he moved forward. “I coming too."

She wanted to tell him no, that he didn't need to come with her. But it was true, with his help there was the chance they'd find Nick faster. “Ok, let's go.” 

A few minutes later they both left the house and began to search. Logically once he reached the end of the walk Nick would have had to go left. If he'd gone right he'd have been walking uphill, not something he would have been able to do easily in his weakened state. Following the sidewalk Judy kept her eyes peeled, looking for any sign of Nick. Perhaps he'd gotten tired and was resting? “Nick?" Her voice echoed around them in the cool evening air. 

Finnick's voice joined hers a moment later. “DADDY?"

Neither of them got any response. Forcing herself to breath Judy did her best to remain calm.  _ Don't panic. Just stay calm and find him. _

Coming to the end of the sidewalk Judy looked around, trying to figure out where Nick might have gone. To the left and right more houses stretched out but across the street was the local park. The some one too she and he had visited a few times to let Finnick play on the evenings where the small fox had been hyperactive. Quickly crossing the street Judy scanned the park, hoping to see a spot of red or brown against the sea of green grass and-

“Judy." The feeling of a tug on her sleep made her look down at Finnick. The small fox had closed his eyes  his ears twitching slightly. For a moment Judy found herself recalling when they'd gone to dinner with her parents and the small fox had ended up playing with her brothers and sister. After several seconds Finnick looked up at her. “I hear something."

Judy nodded, taking a deep steadying breath and willing herself to remain calm. "can you show me where?" 

Finnick nodded and began to lead her, pausing every so often so he could regain-

“He-hey!"

Without warning Finnick began to run, rushing to the far side of the park without so much as a-

“DADDY!" 

The sound of Finnick's scream made her run. There was no mistaking the fear in his voice. What could have happened? Had Nick started vomiting? Had he passed out? Maybe he'd fallen and-

But her brain came to an abrupt and violent halt as she round the tree Finnick hard darted behind. In front of her Finnick was almost hysterical, screaming at the top of his lungs at the crumpled form on the ground. Her eyes widened in horror and her stomach churned and frothed. She'd been prepared, if Nick had become sick again or if he'd passed out. She'd have been afraid but she would have known how to react. But this… this was beyond anything in even her nightmares. Blood had drenched Nick's mouth and jaw, clearly free flowing from his nose which was bent at an unnatural angel; clearly broken. His face was swollen, having been beaten to a near pulp. He was on his side, and with a panicked jolt Judy found that his breathing was shallow.  _ What happened?! _

She practically tore her phone out her pocket, frantically tapping the screen before dialing 911 and screaming into the device as the line connected. “I NEED HELP! MY BOYFRIEND HAS BEEN ATTACKED! HE'S HURT! WE NEED HELP”

The next few minutes were the worst of her entire life. The operator told her to keep Finnick from touching Nick, a near impossible task as the small fox was screaming and had grabbed hold of and started to shake Nick's jacket. Grabbing the fox by the back of his shirt Judy dragged the kicking and screaming fox away from Nick. “STAY HERE!"

Finnick froze, his wide eyes looking up at her tears welling up in his eyes. She felt her heart clench at the sight but forced herself to ignore it. Later, she could apologize for yelling later. Right now she needed to help Nick. Moving back to the injured Judy continued to do as the operator told her, first checking to see is any bones had broken the skin; none had. Before gently reaching out to touch Nick's neck to check his pulse; which was slow and weak. She'd just finished covering him with her jacket when the sound of blaring sirens and screeching tired made her jerk and look up. The paramedics had arrived, the ambulance coming to a sudden stop in the street as a deer and a skunk jumped from the vehicle and rushed over to her. The questions came rapid fire. How long had he been like this? Had any of the bones broken the skin? Was he allergic to any medications? Did he have any underlying medical condition? At that question the deer grimaced at her response, curing softly under his breath. Stepping back Judy stood by Finnick watching as the paramedics worked. Quickly they rolled got Nick rolled over and onto a stretcher before immobilizing his head and neck. With a soft grunt from the skunk the pair lifted Nick off the ground, and began to take him back to the ambulance. As they did so the skunk yelled over his shoulder. “Come on, get in here!"

She jumped at the shout, quickly snatching Finnick off his feet before sprinting to the ambulance and climbing up into it. As she did so the deer pointed to a small spot in the back corner or the space. “You can sit there, just keep quiet and let us work. Ok?”

She nodded, dropping herself and Finnick into the spot and trying to make herself as small as possible. She felt the ambulance rumble to life and a few seconds later the sirens began to blare again as they started to move. It was surreal. Almost painfully she held Finnick in her lap, her grip on the small fox almost iron tight  in front of her lay her fox. Her fox that had been through so much. Her fox who had been the whipping boy of the universe. Her fox who had finally won against the odds that had been stacked against him. And now… it was meaningless. She could hear the paramedics calling to each other, the words coming rapid fire. “multiple broken bones." “Internal trauma." “Critical condition." “Immediate induction into surgery." She knew what they meant, both the actual words and their implication. Nick wasn't just hurt, he was…

Suddenly the ambulance came to a halt, a jarring sudden halt that nearly threw Judy across the cab. In front of her the paramedics again sprang into action, kicking the doors to the back open before removing Nick and handing him off to a waiting team who rushed him away into the hospital in the span of a few seconds. Suddenly the world was silent, not just quiet but silent. For several sections she sat there in the corner of the ambulance her body refusing to move or respond to her brain. “Miss?"

The sound of a voice accompanied by a gentle touch to her shoulder made her jump. Her head snapped to the side, finding a grey wolf who had emerged from the front and was now looking at her. “I… I… I…”

She tried to speak. To explain herself. Why was she still sitting here? Why hadn't she rushed in with Nick? Why did it feel like her chest was in a nice while her head felt light and airy? Why was- 

“Miss, look at me." The wolf's voice was calm, his gaze almost magnetic as she found herself doing as he'd told her. “you're in shock right now. That's going to wear off. let's get you inside. ok?”

she nodded weakly. her grip on Finnick loosening so the smaller fox could climb down off her lap before she stood. the wolf slowly led her from the ambulance, guiding her and Finnick through several hallways before emerging into the waiting room. slowly she allowed herself to be guided into a chair, Finnick tugging on her pants leg as a sign he wanted to sit with her. as she picked him up the wolf spoke to her again. “deep breaths. ok?" she nodded, again doing as he'd told her. “is there anyone we can call for you?" 

she blinked at the question. someone… to call? “yes… my… my parents.” the were the only people she could think of. 

in front of her the wolf nodded. “ok. what is their number?" she bit her lip, trying to focus on the question. what was her parent's phone number? she'd dialed it how many times in her life; and yet now…

“I…” the wolf shifted. “can I see your cellphone?" 

she nodded and dug out the device, handing it to him without a thought. she watched as he tapped on her screen for several moments before bringing the device to his ear and speaking. she barely heard what he was saying; instead images of Nick began to run through her mind. images of him laying on the ground, of him crumbled and bleeding. how had this happened? who ad attacked him? why? had anyone seen? how long had Nick been laying there? that last question made her stomach churn grotesquely, so much so that for a moment she felt like she might-

“ok." the sound of the wolf's voice made her look up at him. he turned to look at her, smiling softly before handing her back her phone. “Ok, your parents are on the way. just remember, keep breathing. ok?”

she nodded, continuing to breath as the walk gave her one last smile before turning and jogging away. in her lap she felt Finnick shift, squirming slightly until he was looking up at her. “Judy..." his voice was so soft and quiet she almost didn't hear him. “is daddy going to be ok?" 

she did as the wolf had told her, focusing on her breathing as she held Finnick against her. she wanted to lie. she'd give anything to like and say he would be ok. to say that this was nothing and he'd shrug this off and be fine. but she couldn't, not after seeing him like that.  

“I don't know." 

 

\--------

 

the hours seemed to be dragging by. each one felt as if it was moving slower than the last; and yet she barely noticed them. just as the wolf said her parents had come, both of them rushing to her and asking a thousand questions about what had happened. she hadn't been able to answer most of them and the ones she had been able to answer only made her stomach twist painfully. to her relief her mother had taken Finnick; talking about going to find some food before leading the small fox kit away. now she and her father were alone, sitting in the waiting room; neither of them saying much. 

just as the wolf had said she wasn't in shock anymore. that ad ended when her parents had arrived. now… now she was just numb. it was like everything had come to a halt, a screeching abrupt halt that kept it all frozen in place until they got some kind of news on Nick's condition. dimly she was aware that it was past dinner time, but she wasn't hungry. all she could do was sit here and wait for-

the sound of a clearing throat made her jump, her eyes jerking to look at the tall puma, dressed in nurse scrubs who had come up to them. “are you Ms Hopps?" she nodded, unable to speak. her eyes scanned the puma's  face, looking for any unspoken sign or hint of Nick's condition. the puma smiled weakly, more out of pleasantry than because he wanted to. “I have some news on Mr Wilde. he's out of surgery now and is being moved to the ICU for observation and recovery.”

the nurse's words brought a wave of indescribable relief to Judy. it was like an impossible weight has been lifted from her shoulders. he had survived. he was going to b-

“The doctor has requested to speak with you. if you'll please follow me.”

she nodded, almost mechanically getting to her feet while her father did the same. unlike before the puma did not question her father coming along. instead he guided them through the hospital and up several floors before emerging into a long corridor. following him through the hospital Judy did her best not to think about the kind of patients housed here. she wasn't dumb, she knew what the ICU was. if Nick was here then he was still in danger. and yet… the fact that he'd made it through surgery… that had to count for something… right?

they paused for a moment as one of the door opened and Nick's doctor emerged from the room. As he closed the door softly the nurse spoke. “Doctor, Ms hopps and her father are here." 

"thank you nurse Collin.”

instantly Judy felt her heart tense. the doctor's tone was not the way she'd hopped it to be. Judy watched as Nick's doctor turned to look at her. “hello Ms Hopps. I… I had hoped we wouldn't need to see each other again so soon.” she nodded weakly. after a few moments the doctor gestured to a set of chairs that had been set-up along the wall. “would you like to sit?" 

she shook her head, her eyes going to the room the doctor had just come from, the room Nick was in. after several seconds she managed a few faint words. “ho-how… is he?”

the doctor sighed deeply. “that… is a... complicated answer. he survived the surgery, that in itself was a miracle. the damage he sustained in this attack… was severe.”

Judy felt her heart clench painfully, feeling as if it would explode at any moment. “buthe'llmakeitright? he'llbeok? HEHASTOBEOK!” he words came tumbling out, one after another. 

again the doctor sighed. “Ms Hopps… I need you to understand… Nick's body… it was already wearing out. the cancer… and the treatments stretched Nick's body's abilities to their limit. now with this… Ms Hopps we don't know if he can survive this too.” Judy's eyes widened in horror, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. “we're doing everything we can. he's being watched around the clock and he's got being given the best care possible. but… Ms Hopps sometimes those things aren't enough. sometimes… sometimes people can have the very best of everything and it's still not enough. this… may be one of those times. I know Nick… he's a fighter. he's always been a fighter, so I have no doubt he's working as hard as we are. but… we need to prepare for the chance that… Nick may not recover from this.”

it felt like her heart had stopped. she could heart the doctor continuing to speak and yet she didn't understand what he was saying. Those words repeated over and over in her head 'may not recover’. The doctor was still talking, but still his words didn't make any sense to her. What more was there to say? Nick was dying. It was only a matter of time now. What could the doctor possibly be rambling on about now? Was he saying that it was her fault? That if she hadn't badgered him to do this he wouldn't have been out there in the first place? If… if…

“I'll… give you some time alone with him.”

She nodded weakly, the doctor slowly leaving her vision. Behind her, her father spoke softly. “I'll wait here Hun.”

Again she nodded. Those steps to the door felt like they were miles long. The effort to turn the door handle felt like a fear of Hercules. The creek of the door opening sounded like the groan of a monster. Slowly she stepped into the room, her eyes instantly finding her fox. There he was, just as she knew he'd be. Laying there, beaten, broken, his face half covered in bandages while a machine slowly beeped in rhythm with his heart. And suddenly everything became real. This wasn't a dream or a nightmare; it was real. Nick was really laying there, barely clinging to life. A life that had done everything it possibly could to destroy him. A life that might have finally succeed in killing him.

She didn't sleep that night. She sat there in his room, listening to the machine slowly beep. Each tone telling her he was still alive. A few times in the night nurses came in, each one going to the machines before scribbling some notes down on a clipboard before leaving the room. As they passed her they'd give her a consoling smile. Her parents had gone home, taking Finnick with them so he wouldn't be alone that night. She'd been grateful for that, Finnick didn't need to see this. Maybe when Nick woke up, maybe then, but not now. Outside the morning sun slowly began to crest over the horizon, the light making her blink and her eyes water. It happened then, in the moment when her eyes were closed as she blinked. 

“Mmmnnn."

The sound made her eyes snap open, suddenly leaping to her feet and practically throwing herself at the bed. Her heart hammered in her chest and her breath caught in her throat. Had she imagined the noise? Had he really-

“Nnnngggg."

Slowly one of Nick's eyes opened, the green orb was glassy and unfocused. Still the sight of it made her almost cry with relief. “h… h…” he struggled to speak, his voice cracking and scratching as be did. “hey… c-carrots." 

She really did start crying then. Tears freely flowing down the sides of her face. Just hearing the sound of his voice was enough to give her hope again. Sniffing loudly she managed to speak. “Hey." It was a lame thing to say, and yet it was all that came to mind, the only thing she could think of. She watched as Nick started to move, an expression of pain flashing across his face a moment later. “Don't. Don't move."

Nick groaned. “What... happened?" 

She stared at him. “Don't… don't you remember?"

Judy watched as Nick frowned, struggling to remember. After several minutes he looked at her. “I… I remember… walking… and… I… I had… that pen… the carrot pen… I was… speaking… recording something and… then…” suddenly his eyes widened. “I was attacked." 

She nodded. “yes. I Finnick and I fo-”

"It was Jack.” Those words made her voice break, the test of what she'd been going to say dying in her throat.  _ Jack did this?  _

“Are… are you sure?”

Gingerly Nick nodded, his face gritting in pain. “Jack attacked me… said I ruined… everything… that I stole you.”

Judy bit her lip, doing her best to try and keep calm. Next to her Nick's expression was changing, his eyes slowly becoming glassy again as his body's exhaustion took hold. His mouth opened, as if he wanted to say more. But instead his eyes became unfocused and his body seemed to relax. Before he could finish speaking sleep took him, making his eyes drifting closed as he slipped away again leaving Judy standing next to his bed.  _ Jack… it was Jack. Jack attacked Nick tried… tried to kill him. Jack…. _

Her heart was speeding up now, a feeling of anger and rage starting to burn in her stomach as she gripped the side of Nick's bed for support. Nick had said Jack had attacked him as he'd been recording a message on the carrot pen she'd given him at the start of the treatments. Which meant… if she could find the pen… she could go to the police… have Jack arrested…

She bit her lip, looking at the clock that hung on the wall. It was 4am in the morning, the trains wouldn't be running yet. She'd have to wait until at least 6am before she'd be able to get back to the park and search. Two hours… she could wait two hours. A soft groan from Nick made her look down at her fox. He looked so frail now, the tough guy persona wasn't there anymore. Now…  it was just Nick… the true Nick. The Nick that had been put through hell. She ground her teeth together, the anger in her stomach growing hotter. Jack was going to pay for this. She going to find the pen, she was going to go to the police and she was going to make sure Jack rotted in prison for the rest of him life.

 

\------

 

The train ride back to the plains district was impossibly quiet. Outside the windows the city was slowly starting to wake up. She was alone on the train, the sounds of the train rattling alone the track filling in the silence that was usually occupied by the crowds of passengers. When the announcement of then nearing the station sounded, the cool female voice echoed through the empty cars. It felt odd being alone. She'd spend so much time recently around others. Now the isolation felt unwelcome and cruel. A sad and sickening reminder of what might happen if Nick…

_ No.  _ She pushed that thought from her mind. Nick would be ok. He'd survived everything till now. Surely… surely he had one more miracle up his sleeve. 

As the train doors opened she hurried outside, ignoring several mammals who gave her sideways looks. she was sure she looked terrible. She'd barely slept, been stressed for hours on end and hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. She probably looked like death walking. In truth she didn't feel much better. Her head had a dull ache, she felt gross and clammy and in desperate need a shower. But she ignored that, quickly making her way from the station. She shivered slightly, tugging her jacket a little closer around her and she broke into a jog, quickly leaving the station and making her way back to the park and the stop where…

She inhaled sharply as she came to a stop. In front of her, the spot where they'd found Nick beaten and bloodied. She could still see traces of him. Several splashes of blood covering the grass in dark crimson splotches. In other areas the grass and dirt had been kicked up, a result of the struggle between Nick and Jack. She felt her stomach lurch as she imagined it. Nick walking along, thinking things were finally going his way. And then…

she did her best to push those thoughts from her mind. it wasn't helping, right now she needed to focus. she began to search, her focus shifting and scanning the nearby area. around her a small breeze kicked up, making her shiver again and pull her jacket closer to her. the search would have been easier if there weren't so many fallen leaves on the ground, and due to fall weather they were hundreds of different colors, many of them with orange tinges in them. she pawed through the leaves, looking for any sign or trace of; THERE!

her paws wrapped around something solid, picking it up and turning it over. it was the pen alright. the plastic casing had cracked when Nick had dropped it, and been now as she held it she could feel the weakened plastic flexing and bending in her paw. gingerly she turned it over, finding the button to make it play. taking a breath she pressed the button, saying a small prayer in hopes that the internals of the pen hadn't been damaged. 

“Hey carrots. It's me. I… I wanted to record this so you'd know… I love you. I love you so much. If you hadn't talked me into the trial…  if you h-hadn't…” he broke off for a moment, his voice shaking so much he had to take several deep breaths. “Thank you. Thank you so much for having hope. Thank yo-”

“WILDE!!!"

it was impossible to describe the feelings that rushed through her in that moment. there was relief that the pen still worked. this was evidence, proof that Jack had done this to Nick. that he was responsible for Nick's condition. at the same time there was rage, a burning itching roaring rage that screamed at her to find Jack and put him in the hospital too. and lastly… there was love. Nick's voice had been so raw, so pure… she could only imagine how much saying those words meant to him. 

biting her lip she stood there holding the pen, doing her best to think of what to do next. she should go to the police, hand the pen over and have Jack arrested. at the same time… she wanted to be there. to see Jack's face as he was dragged away. slowly a plan began to form in her mind. quickly she pulled out her phone, opening an audio recording app and making a op of the pen's recording. she wanted a op of this to be saved, no matter what she was going to make sure the police got this. she left the park, tucking the pen into her pocket as she made her way back to the train station and dropped herself into a bench to wait. luckily she didn't have to wait long; the train she was looking to catch arrived just a half hour later. A kind of cold determination had settled in her stomach as she boarded. She was going to make Jack pay.

 

\-------

 

The hallways were just as busy as she remembered them being, with hundreds of students milling about, greeting friends, gathering their books and running off to their first class of the day. She ignored most of them, smiling at one or two but for the most part staying focused. She only had about five minutes or so. She'd called the police just before stepping inside. part of her; the old part,  knew this was probably a bad idea. but the new part, the part of her that Nick had brought out didn't give a shit. her eyes narrowed as she Jack came into her sight. his back was turned, away as he talked to someone next to his locker. storming forward Judy grabbed Jack by the shoulder, violently spinning him around before lashing out, sinking her paw into Jack's stomach, HARD. she smirked in satisfaction as Jack yelped in pain, hunching over from the force of the punch. grabbing the side of the head she shoved him sideways, slamming his head into the lockers, a second later she moved in, driving her knee up and between Jack's legs making the rabbit scream in pain and crumple to the ground.

she watched as he struggled to breath, gasping in pain as the people around them turned to watch what was happening. his eyes were barely holding back tears of pain as he looked at her. “Wh-wha….j-Judy?”

she smirked down at him. “that's for what you did to Nick you bastard!”

Jack continued to cough and gasp. “wha-what are you-" rolling her eyes Judy dug into her pocket, producing the carrot pen before pressing the play button. a moment later Nick's voice sounded through the hallway for everyone to hear, followed moments later by the sound of Jack's voice screaming in fury. on the ground Jack's fur bristled. 

releasing the button Judy spoke slowly. “He's in the hospital, and when he recovers he WILL identify you as his attacker. this recording will back that up and then the only future you'll have is behind bars. where a psycho like you belongs.”

Jack snarled and slowly got to his feet, still hunched over slightly but managing to draw breath. “how can you care about him? How can you turn your back on your own kind? how can you defend that PELT!?”

even shouted the last word, his anger evident. she knew what he was doing, trying to get a rise out of her, probably trying to make her attack again. it was tempting, but she resisted that urge, instead speaking slowly. “Because he is a better mammal then you EVER could be.”

again Jack snarled. “HE’S A FOX! THEY CAN'T BE TRUSTED!!!”

This time she took the bait, sort of. stepping forward to shout. “I TRUST HIM WITH MY LIFE! MORE THAN I TRUST YOU! I LOVE HIM!" 

In front of her Jack let out a roar of anger, his face had condensed into a snarling expression of rage as he stalked towards her as he shouted. “YOU WHORE! I'LL K-GLK!" 

suddenly Jack found himself lifted clean off the ground, held aloft by the scruff of his shirt by the resource officer who had somehow materialized seemingly out of nowhere. Judy watched as Jack's legs kicked at the air, trying and failing to escapee the officer's grip. “LET ME GO!" 

Officer Bogo didn't, instead shifting of look at Judy. “I take it this is why there are two police officer's in my office?”

she nodded, smirking as Jack's struggling lessened as his eyes widened. “yes." 

"YOU CALLED THE COPS?! YOU BITCH!”

Judy shouted back. “YOU PUT Nick IN THE HOSPITAL! HE MAY DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!”

A murmur went through the gathered crowd. again Jack was struggling against Bogo's grip. “BITCH! YOU DESERVE HIM! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A SPECIES TRAIT-”

But Bogo cut off Jack's tirade, shaking him. “ENOUGH YOU WILL NOT USE SUCH LANGAUGE IN THIS SCHOOL!" Bogo looked to Judy. "you're not a student here anymore. you need to leave. and you,” he helped Jack a little higher. “we're going to go and have a little chat with the very nice officers in my office." 

for a moment Judy stayed still, a smile spreading across her face as Bogo turned and began to carry the still struggling Jack down the hallway. “j-Judy?" 

turning towards the sound of the familiar voice Judy found that Clawhauser and Frufru had pushed their way through the crowd ad were now looking at her. “hey guys." 

she watched as Clawhauser's eyes darted from her to Bogo's retreating form. “did… did Jack really attack Nick?”

she nodded. “yes. he's in critical condition." 

Frufru's eyes widened. "lion Christ. I… I can't believe he'd do something like that.”

Judy shook her head. “yeah well, e's done a lot of things lately I didn't think he could do.”

Clawhauser looked nervously at her. “what will you do now?" 

Judy smiled weakly. "go back to the hospital. tell Nick the good news. stay with him till he's better. and then… I don't know.”

Clawhauser shifted a little before speaking. “Could… could Fru and I come by later?”

She smiled at that. "sure. I bet he'd love to see you both again." 

 

\------

 

The rest of the day passed by in an almost boring haze. By the time she had got back on the train and made it back down to the hospital the afternoon sun was just starting peek in the sky. As she pulled open the door to Nick's room Judy paused, finding that her fox was not alone but joined by Finnick who was sitting on the bed next to him reading aloud from a child's book, and her mother who looked up from her own book and smiled a moment later. “Hi Hun."

Blinking in surprise Judy closed the door behind her. "hey Mom. What are you doing here?"

Her mother chuckled and nodded towards Finnick. “He kept insisting he needed to read to Nick. Said Nick always read to him when he was sick and how it made him feel better.”

Judy chuckled softly, watching as Finnick turned the page in the book he was reading. “How are you holding up Hun?" Judy sighed deeply at that question. That answer would take some explaining. Taking a seat next to her mother she retold the story of everything that had happened. How Nick had woken up and revealed that Jack had been the one to attack him. How she'd gone to the school to confront him. How Jack was probably in jail right now. As she finished her story her mother looked at her in shock. “Jack? He did this? All because he was…  jealous?” 

Judy nodded. “Yeah."

Her mother looked to the bed where Nick lay. “Gods Hun… I'm so sorry. I can-”

"Daddy?"

The sound of Finnick's voice made both Judy and her mom look up. In the bed Nick was staring weakly, his turning slightly to look at Finnick. “Hey little man."

Hurrying to hin Judy spoke. "hey, welcome back.”

Nick smiled weakly at her. "good to be back. How long was I out for?”

Judy shrugged. "A few hours. Long enough for me to have Jack arrested."

Nick's ears flicked forward slightly. "arrested?”

Judy nodded. "I went back to the park and found the pen. It recorded the start of the attack.”

Nick looked at her. “So you heard what I said?"

She nodded, leaning in to plant a soft kiss against his forehead, so as not to twinge I'm Nick's still bandaged nose. “I did. It was very sweet."

He smiled weakly at that, his attention going to Bonnie who had moved and was now at the foot of the bed. “Hey Mrs Hopps. Sorry about all this drama.”

Bonnie shook her head. "you have nothing to be sorry about. You just focus on getting better. Finnick has been an absolute angel.”

Nick looked to the smaller fox who grinned at him. “Good. Cause if he wasn't I was gonna have to tell you all the places he's ticklish.”

Finnick's eyes widened and with a small shriek he jumped back and away from Nick. “No tickles!"

Nick grinned, shifting in bed as if to sit up and -

But a growl of pain rippled through him a moment later. His face contorting into a pained expression as he groaned and lay back against the bed. “Guess you're safe from tickles for now."

Bonnie grinned devilishly. "oh I don't know about that.”

Judy laughed, somehow things felt ok. Like everything was going to be alright. They were laughing, joking, Nick was smiling. Surely this was a sign. They were going to be ok. Everything was going to be ok.

 

\--------

 

He knew. He'd known since he woke up. he couldn't explain it, but he knew. and yet… the day had been so good. yes he was in pain, his ribs feeling like they had a 10 pound weight on them. and yes his nose had a dull ache like when you run into a door. but… the day had been so good. to see Finnick, the little fox reading a dozen or so stories to him over the course of the day. to when Clawhauser and Frufru had come by after school had ended. introducing Finnick to them had been a little awkward, both of them staring at him in Surprise when Finnick had introduced himself as the son. but soon enough that awkwardness had passed and Clawhauser was off; the large cheetah telling them that the entire school was talking about what had happened. even going so far as to reenact the 'fight’ that Jack and Judy had had. it had been so nice. but now the sun the starting to set. Finnick and Bonnie had gone back to the house to have dinner at get Finnick ready for bed. Clawhauser and Frufru had gone home as well; and now it was just him and Judy. 

“hey," he moved, ignoring the pain that lanced up his arm as he moved over and patted the bed next to him. “come here." 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


she looked at him curiously, slowly moving to join him on the bed. once she was settled he adjusted himself, laying next to her so he could smell her beautiful scent. 

“Judy… i wanted to say… thank you…”

She blinked at him, shifting so she was on her side facing him. “for what?”

He smiled. “for saving me.”

Her heart clenched painfully, the knowledge of just what she had done making her feel sick. “b-but i didn't… i… i… i caused th-this.”

Softly Nick shook his head. “no… no you didn't. You made me… try… you gave me… hope… reminded me that i had… things worth fighting… for. Thank you.”

Her paws when to his, squeezing it softly. “bu-but if you hadn't taken the treatment you wouldn't… you could've…” He was smiling at her. why was he smiling at her? She'd condemned him. If she'd just minded her own business, if she'd just let him do what he'd been doing, if she hadn't been so selfish; he wouldn't be here now. Tears welled up in her eyes as she clung to his hand. “i'm sorry… i'm so so sorry Nick. I should've… i should've just… oh gods…. i'm so sorry.”

He shifted a little, leaning against her softly. “Judy… let me hear… your heartbeat… please?” Her sides shook as she tried to keep her crying under control. The bed was to small for him to lay on her like they'd done before, instead she scooted up; half sitting with her back against the wall while pulling his head against her chest. After a few seconds he groaned softly. “i love you.”

She gasped softly, cradling his head against her trying so hard not to completely break down. “st-stop it Nick…”

He sighed softly. “i mean it Judy. I… love you so… much… yo-you… made my last… few months… special… meaningful. Thank you.”

She held him closer to her chest, no longer trying to stop the tears trickling down her face. “wh-what do y-you mean l-last? Y-you're n-not going an-anywhere n-Nick wilde. D-do you hear m-me? N-nowhere!”

He was shaking slightly now to, his paw slowly coming up to rest against her arm, holding it softly. “tell Finnick… i love him… tell him… he was the best broth-… son… i could have ever asked… for.”

She shook her head, her heart feeling like it was being torn from her chest.  “t-tell h-him yo-yourself! Y-you… y-you can't... y-you can't die! I WON'T LET YOU!” she clung to him desperately, holding him as if the tighter her grip the longer she could keep him there. She pressed her nose against his head, his perfect beautiful smell filling her lungs. “y-you're gu-gunna be f-fine Nick. I pr-promise. Y-you wo-wont die.”

He squeezed her arm softly. “promise me… you wont… dwell on me… you'll… live your life… be happy…”

She was shaking now, her sides heaving with the force of her sobbing. “i'm happy now! You make me so so happy Nick! Please, you can't die! I love you so much! I'll do anything, please just stay with me!”

She was beyond hysterical, clinging so tightly to his her arms were going numb. Tears had drenched her face, making her clamp her eyes shut tightly. It was all a dream, a nightmare. It had to be. She just had to wake up. Shed be there, next to him. His arm around her with his nose against her shoulder same as always. Oh gods she wanted to kiss him so badly, she'd kiss him so much when she woke up. she'd never stop kissing him, she'd tell him that she loved him. That he was everything to her. That he'd changed her so much and made her so much better than she'd been before. They'd laugh about this dream. about how emotional she was.  She could almost hear his voice, ‘you bunnies… so emotional.’

“n-Nick… pl-please…please… don't go. Pl-please…. I need you… i ca-can't… do this… wi-without you.”

Nick chuckled softly. “your… gonna be a gr-great… mom. J-just… make su-sure… he knows… f-family are the people who… love you… tell him… his father learned… that… in the end…”

She nodded frantically, tears streaming down her face. “iwillipromiseillmakesureheknows.”

“Judy… i love you.”

She clung to him, desperately trying to keep him with her, her tears soaking the top of his head. She pressed her face against his head, clamping her eyes as tightly shut as she could, silently praying.  _ Please! Please don't take him! I need him! I love him! Please don't! Let him stay here with me, With his family! He's been through enough! You owe him this! He took everything you threw at him and he still turned out beautiful and good and loving! He beat you! Beat your stupid trials and tests! Leave him alone! Let him stay here! _

A second later she felt his head press against her chest gently, his grip on her arm vanishing as his paw slipped away. 

“NONONickYOUCANTDIEIWONTLETYOUDOYOUHEARMEIWONTLETYOUDIEILLNEVERFORGIVEYOUIFYOUDONTWAKEUPRIGHTN-”

A second later it hit her. Hit her harder than any punch, any insult; harder than anything she'd ever felt before in her life. It slammed into her like an ice cold sledgehammer to the stomach. Her heart clench so tightly it felt like it would tear apart. Her sobbing tripled, her arms going numb as she clung desperately to him. The long cruel horrible sound bared down on her, clawing and ripping at her like some horrible monster trying to take him away from her. A single horrible note.

“NONONickILOVEYOUOHGODSIMSORRYIMSOSOSORRYTHISISALLMYFSULTPLEASECOMEBACKNickPLEASECOMEBACK!”

she felt his body relax against her, going limp in her arms. He was so soft, so small and soft and innocent and beautiful and perfect and… now… he was gone.

“ **Nick** !”

 

\---------

 

he wasn't sure what he had expected. a light maybe everyone always talked about a light. the light at the end of the tunnel. well, there was no light and no tunnel. there was only… a glow. a soft glow that was growing in strength until it surrounded him. 

“Yo." 

the voice made his eyes stand on end, swiveling in the direction it came from. it… it couldn't be. slowly he turned, his eyes widening at the sight of the small tan fox dressed in an elegant flowing blue sundress standing behind him. 

“M-m-mom?" 

she nodded, her face spreading into a soft warm smile. "yeah." 

before he knew what he was doing he'd run to her, grabbing her and lifting her off the ground before pulling her into a hug. a moment later he felt her return the hug, gently stroking the back of his head. “hey kid. been a long time." 

those words jolted him, making him pull away his eyes wide. "W-wait… if you're… am I...d-dead?" 

in his arms his mother sighed softly. “That hasn't been decided yet.”

he stared at her, his eyes flicking back. “decided? who decides?" 

his mother nodded at him. "you do.”

gently he set his mother down, watching as she bit her lip; her expression becoming thoughtful. “I suppose the answer to your question is yes… and no. Medically; yes, you are dead. you're heart has stopped and your brain's functions are starting to end. But… spiritually; no. you're still very much alive. which is why we're here.” as she spoke she gestured to the glowing world around them. 

after several seconds Nick spoke. “where are we… exactly?”

his mother shrugged. “exactly? no idea. but i'd call it a crossing. my past, your present. a single moment stretched to infinity to give you time to make a decision on if you truly wish to live or die.”

“I WANT TO LIVE! I WANT TO GO BACK AND BE WITH JUDY! I WANT TO RAISE FINNICK AND… AND…”

in front of him his mother nodded softly, her expression a sad soft smile. “I know, I know. and yet here we are. which means a part of you, some small tiny part… wants to let go.”

he shook his head, his tail lashing angrily behind him. “N-no! I don't! I..." 

his mother smiled, moving a little closer to him. "it's ok Nick. Wanting to die… it doesn't make you a bad person. you're tired Nick. I can see it as plain as day; you're so tired. tired of being brought to your knees again and again. tired of having the hope kicked out of you only to find a tiny bit more.”

“b-but..." his voice was barely able to whisper. she was right. he was tired. how many more times was this going to happen? how many more times was he going to be given hope just to have it taken away again?

“But I also know you want to live. you have so much to live for now. Your brother and Judy; who I approve of by the way. I'm glad you found a girl who can make you speechless, and she's pretty hot too.”

Nick felt his ears prickle with a bit of awkward embarrassment. “mom..." 

his mother motioned to him, gesturing for him to kneel down. when he did so, she reached out; gently cupping his head in her paws. a moment later she planted a gently kiss against his forehead. “I'm so proud of you Nick. So SO proud of you. you've become a fine young man. better than anything I could have ever hoped for you to become. You’ve done such a good job raising Finnick. I'm so unbelievably proud of you. I know your life has been hard, I'm sorry I couldn’t have been there for more of it. but… no matter what, if you wish to live or if you wish to die; know that I love you. You are the best son I could have ever hoped to have.”

tears welled up in his eyes, as before he knew it he was moving; pulling her into another tight hug. “I love you Mom." 

gently she stroked the back of is head, just as she had done all those years ago. “I know Nick. No matter what, I'll be watching over you and Finnick.”

He clung to her, wishing bend hope that he could take her with him. from inside his arms she chuckled softly. “You made your decision." 

 

\--------------------------------------------------

\---------------------------------------------------------

 

" **Nick!** ”

It felt like she was dying too. her heart and chest ached, feeling like someone had ripped open her chest and clawed out her heart. desperately she clung to Nick's body; pressing her face against his neck sobbing. this couldn't be happening. it couldn't be. this wasn't how things were supposed to go. he needed this. the universe owes him this. and yet-

*BEEP*

the sound made her freeze, her cries dying in her throat and suddenly plunging the room into silence. had she… 

“WHATS GOING ON IN HERE?!”

the sound of the door bursting open made ER jump, her head jerking to find a nurse standing in the doorway looking alarmed. 

*BEEP*

there was no mistaking it that time. see ignored the nurse, her head going to the machine that monitored niks heartbeat and that had, only moments ago; filled the room with that horrible single note tone. for what felt like a lifetime she stared at the screen, hoping, willing, praying and-

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

she felt Nick stir, a faint groan coming from him as he opened his eyes. she could hear the nurse speaking, demanding to know what was going on. she ignored her; instead clinging to her fox and doing her best not to burst into tears ago. she felt his paw touch her, the most welcome touch she'd ever felt in her life as he gently squeezed her's. 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Hey… I'm… I'm gonna be ok. I promise. I've… I've decided... to live.” she held him closer, half afraid this was some kind of dreams even as he squeezed her paw again. “I love you." 

that was all it took. the emotional roller coaster won as tears began to trickle down the sides of her face as she held him, determined never to let him go again. “I love you most." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *readies myself for the storm of anger this chapter will probably generate*


	19. One Year Later (EPILOGE)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow folks.  
> its hard to believe but this is it.  
> the end of THE NEW AND THE GOOD GIRL  
> i'll admit, im really going to miss this story. 
> 
> i want to give a special shoutout to MemoryWeaver1 who has become my closest friend in the fandom.  
> thank you X1,000,000,000 dude. without you the story wouldnt have turned out as good as it did.  
> (you guys think you had a rough time with the story? Memoryweaver1 had to listen to me talk about nick's near death experience for months. and help me plan it)
> 
>  
> 
> looking back its amazing to me how much this story has changed. 
> 
> in the original draft nick was wildly different.  
> he was much more into drugs and being a delinquent  
> he had a major guilt complex over being much more at fault for fenneko's death, which was originally from a car accident when she and nick had been coming home one night after nick had been arrested.  
> also nick and finnick were living out of nick's van and were basically homeless. 
> 
> judy is more or less the same.  
> she was originally going to be in a relationship with jack and that was the source of jack's dislike of nick.  
> and at one point she was going to convinse her parents to let nick and finnick stay in the guest house on the property. 
> 
> my how things changed.
> 
>  
> 
> i want to thank everyone who has stuck with me this long.  
> through all the drama and the loss of my original account.  
> thank you so much for your support.  
> it means the world to me. 
> 
> i hope you all continue to enjoy my works and stick around to see what i do next.

“Come on guys! We'll be late!" 

Judy chuckled to herself, listening to the sound of frantic paws running along the floor. a moment later Finnick appeared from the hallway, followed a second later by Nick who smiled at her. “Sorry. SOMEONE couldn't find his other shoe cause his room is so messy.”

Judy chuckled, watching as Finnick's ears flicked sideways with embarrassment as he quickly pulled on his jacket. “Ready?"

The small fox nodded eagerly. “YEAH LETS GO!" Behind him Nick nodded too.

exiting the home the trio quickly walked across the grass before heading off down the street. above them the sun was shining, the air was cool but not cold. around them the trees rustled slightly as the wind blew through the leaves. in front of them Judy watched as Finnick skipped happily along, barely a care in the world. a few steps later Judy felt Nick's paw intertwine with her's. they'd both agreed never to tell the smaller fox what had happened. he'd been freaked out enough by just the attack, he didn't need to know how close Nick had come to dying. actually they had barely told anyone about it. Judy's parents knew, and of course the doctors and nurses knew, but no one else. 

A short while later they arrived at the train station. as they made their way up the front stairs of the station Judy couldn't help but look sideways and Nick, watching him. it had taken months for him to fully recover from his injuries. Jack had managed to break eight different bones in Nick's body ranging from ribs to his nose. and that was on top of the internal damage to Nick's organs. but in the end, the bones had healed and a month later Nick had been allowed to return home. she smiled at that memory, she and Finnick had thrown Nick a mini-party. making him his favorite food; blueberry cobbler. it had been nice, having Nick back home. and that night when they'd curled up together in bed it had been like a breath of fresh air. like she was able to finally breath after having held her breath for the last few weeks. That had been over a year ago. 

the trains are on time as usual and soon Nick, Judy and Finnick found themselves boarding the train the would take them back to you bunnyburrow. several moments after dropping themselves into their seat the train shuddered and began to move, quickly whisking them away. as the train moved along it's track Nick smiled as Finnick reacted as he always did, looking at the world flashing by with a mixture of awe and wonder. next to her Nick squeezed her paw gently, a gesture she returned a second later. outside the train the sun had long started to set, casting long shadows along the world as they sped by. “are you gonna be nice?" 

she blinked at the question turning to look at him sideways "nice?”

he nodded at her. "to Jill.”

instantly her expression soured with anger. “no." 

Nick sighed. "Judy, come on. it's been a year. you're madder with her than I am.”

she nodded. “hell yes! you got attacked because of her! if she had just kept her mouth shut Jack wouldn't have found out and wouldn't have attacked you. it's her fault!”

again Nick sighed. “no it wasn't. she couldn't have known what Jack was going to do. she made a mistake.”

she stared at him. “a mistake? you ended up in the hospital! you LITERALLY died for a few seconds.”

he shrugged. “but I didn't say dead. and besides, ever since then she's been a lot nicer to me.”

biting her lip Judy shifted, turning to look out the window. that WAS true; Jill had been nicer since then. she hadn't said anything about his and Judy's relationship. although to be fair Jill just barely spoke around them. when she'd heard about the attacks she'd almost turned ghost white and when she'd told them that jack had approached her. Judy squirmed a little in her seat as she remembered how she'd reacted to that piece of information. looking back on it she felt her ears burn slightly at the string of expletives she'd screamed at the top of her lungs while her father had been forced to physically hold her back from killing her sister. even Nick had seemed surprised by the words she'd used, and he had been the one who'd started her swearing. next to her Nick again squeezed her paw gently. “look, I'm not asking you to completely forgive her. but… can you maybe just not yell at her like you usually do?”

looking at him she sighed deeply, feeling her agner drain out of her. “I'll try. that's all I promise.”

Nick smiled, leaning in to gently kiss her cheek. “I'll take it." 

a little while later they arrived at the bunnyburrow station. exiting the train the three of them quickly made their way through the station and out into the rapidly cooling night air. as they walked Nick huffed and little, pulling his jacket a little closer to him making Judy look at him a little worried. “are you cold? I can call Dad and have him pick us up." 

but Nick shook his head at no. "no no. I'm ok. I promise. just needed to shiver for a moment." when she continued to look worriedly at him he smiled. "Judy, I'm ok. I promise. I'm not the same fox I was last year, remember?" 

at those words she smiled. that was true, he was a different fox. and for the most part those differences were good; especially the affect the experimental treatments had had on his cancer. while in the hospital Nick's doctors had run tests almost daily. and although they had both found the tests a bit annoying the reasons behind them had become apparent quickly. while the doctor's had worried Nick's injuries would impede the effect of the treatments, their worries had been misplaced. by the time Nick had been released from the hospital his numbers had gone up, so much so that the doctor's had thought for sure there must have been some kind of mistake. but a dozen tests later they'd had to conclude there wasn't. the numbers didn't change, 38% improvement. Enough that the doctor had tentatively approached them. Nick was still adamantly against going through chemo; that hadn't changed. But as the doctor had pointed out, with his numbers now where they were, other options were available to them now that had not been before.

It had taken a lot of discussion, weeks of research and talking with each other and meeting with the doctor; but they had finally settled on a course of action. One that if they stuck to, and if they had a bit of luck; would possibly cure Nick’s cancer once and for all. In fact that was the whole reason they were out here tonight, going to her parents house for dinner. Tomorrow Nick would go back to the hospital and start his new treatment. As they walked along the road towards the house, Judy watched Nick. He'd gotten stronger since the trial. He didn't get exhausted anymore, at least not nearly as much. His appetite had recovered significantly; so much so that it had been a little alarming to her at first. The nausea was all but gone; by far the most welcome improvement to Nick’s health. Both he and she had taken advantage of his better health. They’d spent much more time outdoors over the last few months. Going for hikes in the hills around the city, taking Finnick to the park almost every other night. Once or twice Nick had even packed them all a picnic to eat under the starry sky in the backyard. It was wonderful, seeing him recovering so well. 

They could see the house now, windows glowing with a soft warm yellow light that spilled out into the rapidly dimming evening. Next to her Nick called out to Finnick who was several steps ahead of them. “Hey little man, why don't you go on in. tell me we’ll be there in a minute.”

Finnick grinned and nodded, breaking into a sprint as he charged towards the house. “Why’d you do that?”

“So i could do this.”

Suddenly Nick moved, half stepping in front of her before turning and bringing their lips together in a soft kiss. Even if the move did caught her slightly off guard it still felt good. Her eyes drifted closed as she inhaled his beautiful scent. As she did so her paws ran along his chest, slowly moving up to his shoulders before wrapping around his neck. After several seconds they broke apart, both of them inhaling deeply as they stayed closed together. “I love you Judy Hopps.”

She smiled at him, her heart still skipping a beat even after all this time. “I love you more Nick Wilde.”

For several more seconds they stayed like that, holding each other; savoring the moment before turning and heading up to the house and whatever came next.  


"think your mom and dad will be ok with it?"  
  
Judy grinned, her finger going to the cool gold band she wore.  


"Lets find out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how would you folks feel about a sequel?


End file.
